We Met Again (in Tomoeda) 3: Revelation
by Enchanted Revelation
Summary: The Phoenix Fighters finish high school in Tomoeda but their troubles are only JUST beginning. Not only will their enemy/ally be revealed, but so will major secrets and the TRUE reason they've been brought together. Amid the chaos, hard choices will have to be made, as well as sacrifices, as the teens face the battle of their lives. (CCS, Sailor Moon, DBZ ft InuYasha etc.)
1. A Volatile Valentine

**Chapter 1: A Volatile Valentine's Day**

The town was deserted. There was not a soul in sight. Beautiful stores, small businesses and buildings stood as they always did; their lights on, doors open. But they stood empty. Office desks were unoccupied, computers turned on but abandoned. Pavements were neglected by pedestrians. The roads were lined with cars, buses, bicycles, yet nobody rode them.

The ' _thing'_ stood at six, maybe even seven feet tall. It was like a grasshopper or a lizard, but it was certainly inhuman as its yellow snake eyes darted about searching, looking, thirsting for _more_. Its large membranous wings opened and it alighted on top of a car, then on a building, and then on a vacant photo booth. It bent over, parting curtains to take an eager peek inside. There was no one in there either. The thing raised its head slowly, its tail swaying as it surveyed the area. Even though this place was uninhabited, the most obvious thing was the way clothes lay strewn across the town's streets, as though they had simply been thrown there. The wind played with a few hems and thin sleeves, flapping.

But it was mostly still…

* * *

The Christmas and New Year holidays ended abruptly. Once again the teens were back at Seijou High School, ready to begin their final term. Well, 'ready' might have been exaggerating. Sakura was excited to get back into the routine, but now that it was four weeks into January, with their graduation set in March, it felt like time was running out. Important decisions had to be made about what came after school. Work? University? She had always thought university but Sakura felt like she was being pulled in so many directions. The future was a topic that she wasn't prepared to face yet.

As her face was buried in her arms, exhausted from another late night of study, she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder. She turned her head lazily, to peep blearily at Tomoyo.

'Hoe?'

'Class is over, Sakura-chan. Aren't you hungry?'

Sakura nodded weakly as she assembled her things and followed Tomoyo to the cafeteria, a place that was a rare 'luxury' in a Japanese high school, and joined the others at the table.

'Hi Sakura, Tomoyo!' greeted Chiharu and Naoko as Sakura and Tomoyo sat down and nodded at Rika, Meiling and Chibiusa. Across from them were Takashi, Sumi, Fondu, Ron and Hermione. Harry, Syaoran and Trunks hadn't joined them yet.

'Harry went to the loo,' Ron explained, giving Tomoyo a strange look. 'I know you're probably wondering where he is.' He then waggled his eyebrows suggestively. Tomoyo blushed slightly and Hermione snorted into her drink before developing a coughing fit. Sakura blinked, too confused and tired to analyse why he directed this information at Tomoyo. By then Syaoran finally appeared, greeting them all as he wedged into a spot between Takashi and Ron.

The table of teenagers fell silent as a certain pale-haired figure skulked into the room, a bag swinging in his hand as he found the most neglected table he could and sat down. He opened his bag, roughly unwrapping the bento box from within, then stared at its contents for a while as though uncertain of what to do with it.

'Malfoy,' Syaoran grumbled.

'Akira, the maid, made him lunch this morning,' Hermione sniffed. 'Apparently not the usual, you know, braised beef and whatever. We've been in Japan long enough; you think he'd try something traditional and local by now.'

Several of them shook their heads.

'Well at least he's in full uniform these days,' muttered Chibiusa. It was true. For the entire month Draco had shown up every day in full uniform, a big deal considering weeks prior he insisted on wearing his _wizarding robes_. Of course, the real surprise was that he was always alone now, leading others to speculate.

Fondu's eyes lit up as he leaned in towards the others.

'You don't know yet? Rumour is that over the holidays, he made a pass at Mitsu Ayame. You know that weird Gothic Lolita girl with the blue lipstick he was always mingling with?'

A stream of juice spurted from Meiling's mouth. She dabbed her shirt, uttering apologies.

'You're serious?' wondered Harry aloud.

The others jumped; they hadn't noticed that Harry had joined them.

'Harry!' Tomoyo gasped. 'When did you get here?'

Harry gave her sly grin in response, as though to say 'I'm magic!'

Sumi shook his head dismissively and patted his brother on the shoulder. 'Nah. It was the other way around.'

'Blimey! So what is it then?' Ron uttered, eyebrows raised. The others seemed to share his expression, their thoughts whirring back to Christmas night, that evening Ginny had broken the news to them about Hogwarts, and Draco had entered in just at the oddest moment with a peculiar lipstick stain and bruise combination on his face.

'Yeah,' Sumi gave a definitive nod. 'She was the one flirting. So her boyfriend, Hachi, got super jealous and nailed him right in the mug!'

Sakura glanced at Draco in alarm.

Fondu nodded, looking thoughtful. 'Hm, you're right. That makes much more sense.'

'You're kidding,' Syaoran said, looking mildly impressed. 'So that's what? The _fourth_ time he's been punched in the face?'

'A few of us have had the honour. Aside from myself, there was also Buckbeak, if you'd call that a punch,' Hermione reminded.

'Well, Ginny slapped him,' Harry added.

'Nice!' marvelled Ron.

'I may have landed a kick or two,' Meiling offered. 'Chi-Tun proved rather capable as well.' Chi-Tun was her pet chihuahua.

Syaoran raised his brows. 'He's becoming _everyone's_ punching bag now. I'm getting jealous.'

'You and me both,' agreed Harry, sniggering.

'Hey Harry, you could count those snowballs you threw under the Invisibility Cloak at Hogsmeade,' Ron sighed. 'I want a go at him too. _Someday._ '

Sakura shot a dirty look at them all; they didn't seem to see her expression as they continued to chuckle.

Chiharu and Naoko exchanged puzzled glances. 'Hey, aren't you guys all supposed to be friends?'

'Yeah, seems kind of mean,' Rika commented, looking concerned.

'It's just a bit of a laugh. You know, that dry British humour,' Ron replied swiftly.

Sumi and Fondu inclined their heads like twin owls and then looked at each other. 'Westerners, I guess,' Sumi muttered while Fondu shrugged.

'And what's an "Invisibility Cloak"?' queried Takashi, sharp as usual.

Hermione coughed loudly and stared purposefully at Ron and Harry.

'It's a popular sitting area in a park back in England – it's surrounded by trees, making it "invisible",' Harry explained quickly. Ron nodded emphatically at the quick save.

Sakura sometimes forgot that they had to conceal that part of their lives; it was sometimes frustrating. She looked past Syaoran's shoulder to see that Trunks had entered the cafeteria. Takashi stood on his feet and waved as he called 'Yo! Trunks!'

Trunks smiled as he recognised them, but stopped to regard Draco seated alone at the other table. As though he fought a small internal struggle, Trunks grimaced, nodded once at Takashi and sat across from Draco. Draco looked up suddenly from his lunch, eyes wide. Sakura felt a gentle warmth bloom in her chest as she watched Draco and Trunks exchange a grin and begin to speak over their meals.

'Huh,' Chibiusa muttered, staring over at the two boys with interest. 'Didn't know those two got along so well?'

'Don't suppose aliens get eye problems?' Meiling muttered to Syaoran.

Syaoran nodded slightly and went back to his meal. 'If only Trunks'd had the displeasure of going to school with Malfoy in Britain.'

'Still don't get Western humour,' Fondu commented as he took a sip of his juice.

* * *

 _ **The Seventh Month: February**_

* * *

It was finally Friday, half way through the month, specifically February 14th. Despite the pressures of study most students revelled in the Valentine's Day spirit. The lower level corridors were decorated with paper hearts and streamers. Girls were in a flurry, hair and makeup meticulous as they fawned in the halls over who they would be giving sweets. Boys exuded an odd type of energy, anticipating chocolate and female attention, but dreading the inevitable rejections they would have to make. Throughout the morning Trunks heard a few snippets of conversation about Daffodil and theories on who she would be giving chocolate. He found the whole ritual fascinating, not recalling a similar holiday on his own Earth. He overheard that Sakura, Syaoran and Ron and Hermione were going on a double date that evening to watch _The Vow_ (a corny movie apparently based on a true amnesia story). He suspected Harry and Tomoyo would be doing something as well. That left the rest of the household in romance limbo.

It was morning tea and Trunks felt slightly guilty at his own smugness. He had already received five pouches of chocolate, either suspended by colourful ribbons from his locker handle or sitting on his homeroom chair which he had nearly sat on. What unnerved him was that he did not know who they were from. There was only one girl he wanted.

'Chibiusa!' he heard someone exclaim.

Trunks swivelled around to watch as Chibiusa seemed to walk down the hall in slow motion, her long hair spiralling down one shoulder like coifed cotton candy. She stopped to speak with Chiharu and laughed. But he knew that it was an empty laugh; he saw that her eyes were sad.

'Oh, Briefs!' Chiharu exclaimed and waved him over, a bag slung over one shoulder. Trunks shuffled towards them and he was slightly thrown off by Chibiusa's slight smile as though to offer a familial 'hi'. 'Happy Valentine's Day!' Chiharu said, beaming. 'Have you gotten any candy yet?'

'Some,' he replied meekly, peering at Chibiusa intently. 'Have you gotten anything for Takashi?'

'Oh, he wishes,' Chiharu laughed, blushing. 'If I give him something now, he'll just start lying about how chocolate is actually the most offensive thing you can give someone – on Mars.'

Trunks and Chibiusa chuckled in response.

'How about you, Chibiusa?' Chiharu asked.

Chibiusa looked surprised. 'Oh no, I'm too selfish to give someone else chocolate – I'd prefer to eat it myself.' She laughed weakly and rubbed the back of her arm. Trunks paid extra attention when she bit her lip and looked away.

'Oh, you'd better take note of White Day,' Chiharu said.

'What's that?' Trunks asked.

Chiharu paused. 'Don't you recognize it in Osaka?'

When they had started school, Sakura had told everyone Trunks was from Osaka, since an "alternate dimension" wasn't too suitable.

Trunks chuckled unevenly. 'Oh yeah, I was homeschooled and my parents never cared about those things.'

'Ah. Well, White Day is where the boy returns the favour, by giving the girl he likes white chocolate.'

Trunks folded his arms. 'Aww, I prefer white chocolate.'

'Well, better find a good girly wig,' Chiharu teased, pulling her bag higher on her shoulder. 'Well, P.E. is about to start. I'll probably see you guys at lunch.'

Chibiusa turned to Trunks awkwardly. 'So, shall we?'

He blinked. 'Where?'

'Science class,' she said slowly, gesturing with her hand.

'Oh, right,' he said as he stumbled after her. Just to break the silence he asked, 'Do you have Valentine's Day back in your world?'

She nodded, looking pensive. 'It's not that different. Just add about a thousand years of technological advancement, and you've got my home.'

'Wow,' Trunks muttered and whistled. 'So you're kind of like a future type being.'

'Minus the tacky "futuristic" fashion,' she joked, winking slightly.

Trunks didn't know how to respond after her comment, so he chuckled nervously. The pair fell into an awkward silence as they walked then entered the class and took their usual seats. After the teacher called the roll, class commenced as usual. Trunks stared blankly, unable to focus on Toyota-sensei's ramblings on mitosis, his mind set on Chibiusa who was sitting some distance away. He couldn't overlook the fact that she had told Chiharu that she would never give chocolate to someone. She said it right in front of him. Maybe it was a sign? Maybe _he_ had to be the one to make the move after all.

Takashi had told him about all the romantic things he should do. He wondered if this was probably the time to show how he felt. Certainly, it seemed Harry had finally built the confidence to do it and he was happier than ever. Trunks knew he wasn't ready to confess or anything like that, but he wondered if he wanted to spend this day alone like Draco or happy like Harry.

* * *

As class ended, Syaoran quickly made way for the classroom's exit. Finally the day was over. That morning, Sakura had given him a box of homemade chocolates. Chocolate was his favourite and the fact that she had taken the time to prepare it delighted him. He wondered when she could have possibly found the time, and with their house in disarray, how she was able to do so _secretly._ She really was a wonderful, amazing girl. He clutched idly at the wolf-shaped jade pendant about his neck as he stalked the halls and made the way to his locker. Sakura had suggested they go out for a movie and dinner that evening. Butterflies flittered in his chest. They rarely had a moment alone for a proper date. Perhaps, he thought, this would be the perfect time to propose to her.

* * *

The students stood, hastily pushing in their chairs and gathering their things. Trunks stole glances at Chibiusa as he shoved his last textbook into his bag. He watched as she threw her own bag over her shoulder. Suddenly, she whirled around and looked at him. Trunks jumped. She had caught him staring, yet, she seemed to be indifferent as she simply offered a kind smile.

'Oh, by the way. Did you want to go out for dinner, tonight?' Chibiusa asked, approaching him.

'D-Dinner? ' stammered Trunks. He couldn't believe it! She was asking him out!

'Yeah, I almost forgot. Harry was thinking of visiting a restaurant since the maids are away this weekend. He was asking others if they wanted to come with.'

'Oh,' he muttered. Then an interesting thought came to him. He wondered if this was some kind of clever way of her subtly asking him on a double-date. He grinned. She was sneaky, but not too sneaky for him.

'So it's Harry and Tomoyo and…uh…' He began suggestively. _Me and you?_ He thought.

'Actually, Tomoyo isn't going. She has choir. But Meiling might go?' she interjected, stroking her chin thoughtfully. She then dropped her arms to her sides and shrugged. 'Oh well. I'd go but I've got a study group this afternoon. Then I'll probably be getting my hair cut. Tomoyo has a pretty good stylist…'

Trunks stared, noticing her fringe had gotten quite long and brushed against her eyes.

'Say, maybe you should check them out some time yourself.' She turned away and waved. 'Later!'

Trunks gaped confusedly after her as she left the room, impulsively running a hand through his hair. He knew his hair had grown a bit as it had begun to reach a rather awkward length, just at the top of his cheek bones — but to _actually_ call him out on it? It was discomforting. He groaned, irritated that he had gotten his hopes up. He supposed the others weren't dating yet after all. The thought of food was wonderful but spending this "couple's day" with Harry and Meiling wasn't what he had in mind.

* * *

Meiling sniffed miserably as she curled around a downy pillow on the couch, watching the morning news on low volume. She had woken with a fever and blocked nose. It suited the day, she thought bitterly, not having anyone to gift chocolate. She had come to Japan hoping to find love as Syaoran did with Sakura, but all she found instead was a Slytherin, a Sand Demon, a splitting headache and an empty bottle of Aspirin. She passed a weary eye over her sleeping puppy at the foot of the couch. She sniffed before returning her eyes to the television. She flicked over to a cheesy daytime show. A blonde woman with too-white teeth and a purple pantsuit demonstrated the suction power of a vacuum cleaner.

Groaning, she hovered her thumb over the channel button and promptly screamed as she was thrown back into the couch by a sudden quake. She bolted upright, her eyes wide with alarm. Chi-Tun yowled with fright and darted into another room. Meiling had heard about the earthquakes in Japan, but that tremor had only lasted for _two seconds_!

She looked cautiously around the room; a picture frame had become slightly askew but otherwise no damage. She moved to her feet and peered out the window. She gawped: smoke billowed from a spherical machine in the front garden, an emblem similar to a "C" gleaming in white on its side. The machine was buried several metres into the ground, clumps of earth and grass scattered around it. Meiling thought, somewhat darkly, that Tomoyo would be horrified by the state of her garden.

Was it an alien vessel? She squinted at the visible side and saw a hinged door. The door popped open and a boot stuck out. _Was it the enemy?!_ She thought that the home was concealed by protective charms and spells, which seemed to have worked so far. But what if it failed? Now, not only was she home alone (on Valentine's Day, no less) with a cold, the last thing she wanted to do was fight anyone. Especially if this villain had supernatural powers. She had to muster her courage—she was a chosen Phoenix Fighter, wasn't she? Gathering her tattered cream dressing gown she moved towards the front door. Drawing a deep breath, she pulled at the threads of her ki and drew them to her core, preparing to attack as she approached the vessel.

She coughed at the smell of acrid smoke, her eyes stinging as she inspected the hinged door. The leg attached to the boot was now wriggling like a demented worm, and she heard an interesting consortium of profanities, which belonged to a boy.

'H-Hello?' she called throatily, holding her hands out carefully, feeling her energy brim under her palms.

'A little help?' the person replied, the leg kicked emphatically.

'Who are you?' she asked hesitantly.

'I'm Trunks' friend, and my head is stuck under the control panel, and I'm getting a cramp in my neck!'

He knew Trunks? Maybe he was from Trunks' world. 'Hold on,' she sniffled and climbed carefully up the domed shape of the vessel. She peered into the door and saw a boy grimacing back at her in an odd position, his face obscured by a mop of shaggy dark hair.

'Hi,' he intoned, 'if you pull my leg, I'll push from underneath.'

Meiling quirked an eyebrow but didn't respond. She wrapped her arms around the boy's calve and pulled hard. He grated out a few more swear words and together they managed to get him free. When she regarded him properly, she saw he was a muscular boy donning a sleeveless, orange martial arts uniform complete with belt and wrist bands, his eyes dark and intelligent under unruly black hair that met to his shoulders. He was quite handsome, his cool appearance vaguely reminding her of a cross between her favoured Ryu from _Street Fighter II_ and _Liu Kang_ from _Mortal Kombat_ ; but she pushed away the observation. He pressed a button on the side of the vessel and, with a pop, it was replaced by a red and white capsule, which he stowed into a pocket. The gaping hole the vessel left in the ground was almost comical.

'I suppose you're not going to clean this up,' she queried. 'The host is going to have a heart attack!'

'Eh, just throw some dirt over it, it'll be all right,' he replied casually.

She folded her arms. She was suddenly conscious of her dishevelled appearance and hastily pulled her hair over one shoulder. 'So, you're Trunks' friend?'

'Yeah, I was sent to help,' he replied, taking in the large house behind her. 'Nice digs!' He whistled and then regarded her properly. 'You're Sakura?'

'No,' she replied, feeling shy at his intense stare. 'Li Meiling.'

'Hard to believe. Trunks said Sakura is very pretty.' He grinned at her.

She tried not to blush.

'Son Goten,' he said after a while, shaking her hand. 'Is Trunks around?'

She regarded him carefully. He did not seem suspicious. He had also been able to pass through the protection wards. Her judgement of character wasn't her strong suit, as she reflected on Draco and Gaara. Still, after observing him some more, she decided to trust him.

'No,' she replied, 'but assuming that you're not some crazy monster freak, I suppose I should invite you in to wait until he gets home.'

'Sounds rad,' he replied, and she almost grinned at how dorky he sounded.

She staunchly told him to wait in the entrance room as she hastened to bin all the tissue wads that had accumulated like snowdrifts on the couch. When that was done she made him sit on a single-person couch and turned on the television to compose herself. Goten seemed to be on edge about something, looking a little too suspiciously at the Hello Kitty clock on the wall.

'Problem?' she asked, making him jump.

He waved a hand and chuckled awkwardly. 'Nah, I was just wondering ... where this "chaos" is.'

'Oh, it's really out there,' she replied, 'this home is shielded by a slew of protective wards.'

'Magic?' he muttered and whistled. 'Trunks was telling me.'

'Yeah, so, assuming you and Trunks are friends, where do you fit into all this?.' She sneezed suddenly and covered her face in embarrassment. 'C-Could you pass a tissue, please?'

Goten blinked and offered her the whole tissue box. She took it slowly and mopped her nose, blushing.

Goten's mouth eased into a broad grin, and his face glowed as though his words were inspired by some deity. 'For a girl with a cold, you sure are...hot.'

It was so embarrassing, Meiling threw her head back and laughed. A tickle formed in her throat and the laugh suddenly morphed into a loud hacking cough. Her face grew to an even brighter red. 'S-Sorry,' she spluttered.

At that moment, they heard stamping overhead. They turned towards the entrance to see an irate and visibly off-colour Draco. Meiling hadn't realised he was home as well.

'So bloody loud! Do you mind keeping it down?' Draco snapped, then blanched as he noticed Goten. He had a guarded look on his face. 'Who the hell are you?'

'Goten,' Goten replied, and turned to Meiling. 'Friend of yours?'

'Not really,' she replied, and thought for a moment that Draco's demeanour shifted to disappointment.

Draco snorted and rubbed his nose with a tissue. He was once again wrapped in his Snuggy. So _he_ had a cold too. 'Is this a Muggle disease?'

'Take your uneducated ass back upstairs,' she deadpanned and watched with satisfaction as he scoffed agitatedly, then dragged himself away.

'You're obviously not well,' Goten noted, and tentatively placed a hand on her forehead. Meiling felt the heat in her face rise even more. He pulled back his hand and waved it as though it burned. 'Whoa! Tea and bed for you!'

'Hold on,' she protested and screamed as he lifted her into his arms and bounded up the stairs. He ended up placing her down so they could locate her room, and he went down to the kitchen to make her some oolong tea. When he returned, he sat on the end of her bed, and started a comedy routine that was so bizarre, that her stomach hurt from laughing.

* * *

Draco shot up into a sitting position. He heard laughter coming from Meiling's room. _She wouldn't..._

He bounded off the bed and dashed to her room. The door was open. He swept past and stared for a moment. Meiling and the strange boy were simply sitting on the bed, many inches apart, cups of tea splashing onto the bed covers as they laughed hysterically. They stopped mid-laugh to regard him with curious glances.

Meiling narrowed her eyes. 'What?'

Draco felt his heart race. 'I-I was just checking.'

Her eyes rounded. 'Checking what?'

He suddenly sneezed into his open hand. Disgusting! He spun desperately on his socked feet and dashed away.

'That guy is really strange,' Draco heard the other boy say as he retreated.

* * *

Syaoran tried extremely hard to disguise his annoyance. He thought that just he and Sakura would be going on this date. He had bought a single red rose, thinking he was so original. But when Sakura surprised him with Hermione and Ron at the cinema foyer, Ron had arrived with a large bouquet of yellow roses. Syaoran realised at that moment that it was a double-date devised by Sakura and Hermione. _So much for asking her tonight_ , he thought miserably.

The keyword was "awkward". Sakura and Hermione spoke animatedly about the movie they had just seen, while Syaoran and Ron stared hard at their pasta and then at each other.

'Don't s'pose you enjoyed the film?' Ron ventured, swirling his spaghetti with a fork.

'I guess you could appreciate the cinematography,' Syaoran replied tartly.

Ron nodded and then stared over the edge of the table. 'Mate, did you drop something?'

Syaoran looked at the ground beside them and dived down desperately. The ring had fallen from his pocket!

'Syaoran, are you alright?' Sakura asked.

Hermione exchanged what looked like a knowing glance with Ron. Oh, this was _just_ a "perfect" night.

'Just dropped my fork,' he replied distractedly, shoving the ring box into his pocket and straightening his collar.

Sakura leaned in to kiss his cheek lightly. Syaoran felt the blood rush to his face. He glared at Ron who gave him a sly look.

'SAKURA! IS THAT MY DARLING?' someone screamed.

Syaoran felt a rush of terror as he looked up to see the ever-smiling Fujitaka and an intoxicated Sonomi sway over to their table. Sonomi sighed happily as she draped her arms around Sakura's shoulders. 'Sa-ku-ra-chaaan!'

Syaoran stood up mechanically and shook Fujitaka's hand.

'Hello,' Fujitaka greeted him, and smiled at Hermione and Ron. 'Sorry to disrupt your lovely evening.'

'N-Not at all,' Syaoran stammered. 'Please sit.'

Fujitaka pulled two chairs from an empty table and failed in persuading Sonomi to sit beside him. Syaoran was moved from his seat so Sonomi could sit beside and fawn over a blushing Sakura.

'I've made peace with the idea of you,' she chimed, leering at Syaoran, who grimaced internally. 'Of course, no one is worthy of my Sakura, but you make her happy – Oh, Fujitaka, we're such cool and proud parents.' She giggled and smiled at Ron and Hermione. 'Fancy a drink? It's perfectly fine with adult supervision.'

Fujitaka smiled uncomfortably.

'Thank you, but we'll be quite alright,' Hermione replied and reached across the table to shake hands with Fujitaka and Sonomi. 'You are Sakura and Tomoyo's parents? It's nice to meet you. My name is Hermione, and this is Ronald. We went to school with Sakura in Britain.'

'Yeah, she was one of our top students,' Ron said, also shaking their hands, 'she's got really powerful ma-'

Hermione grinned brightly. Syaoran felt the stab of a heeled shoe in his shin. He pushed down a swear word. He must have made an offensive face because Ron stopped mid-speak while Sonomi glared at him and leaned over to Fujitaka. 'I still think there's something "off" about the boy.'

Perhaps Hermione meant to kick Ron in the shin, but it had _hurt_! Syaoran threw Hermione and Ron a dirty look, and they suddenly became interested in their dinners.

'Oh, how _lovely_ ,' Sonomi said slowly, eyeing Syaoran suspiciously. 'Garcon!' she called a waiter over. 'A bottle of your finest Pinot Noir.'

Sakura giggled, embarrassed. Syaoran still couldn't believe that Sonomi had mothered Tomoyo, or that she was actually going to be his mother-in-law. Well, hopefully, he thought sadly.

'Syaoran, have you asked?' Fujitaka whispered, offering a wink.

Syaoran shook his head once. 'I was...'

Fujitaka regarded Hermione and Ron, and smiled knowingly. 'Ah, the blind double-date. Don't give up.'

'My Sakura is looking so grown up!' Sonomi exclaimed, stroking an embarrassed Sakura's cheek.

Syaoran looked between them and Fujitaka. He still saw this man as a potential father. He would not give up.

Syaoran smiled. 'I won't.'

* * *

After school Trunks and Harry had stayed back to study for a few hours until it got dark. As it turned out, even Meiling wasn't joining them. Recognizing that it would be awkward with just the two of them, they opted to grab some ramen-to-go instead of dining in. Afterwards, on Trunks' suggestion, they decided they would visit a barber to get their hair cut. Harry confessed that he had never had his hair done professionally, and Trunks could not get over his longer hair since Chibiusa had mentioned it that morning. They located a local barber and Trunks asked for a light trim. The conversation with the heavily-moustached man had been pleasant. So when Trunks saw Harry's gobsmacked stare, he was overwhelmed by the dread that befouled him the moment before he looked into a mirror.

His hair had not been cut. It had been maimed. _Disfigured_. His hair was cut close to his skull in places, while longer and gelled up into antennae in others. He turned to look at Harry, who looked normal with a simple short spiked style.

Feeling too sick to scream, Trunks bounded out of the barbers and towards the house. He was certain Harry had paid for both of them, as there was a delay in his catching up to Trunks. Trunks suddenly felt a sudden pulling, like a knot, at his senses. The house didn't feel quite right. Something was off about it. He jumped directly over the front gate and skidded to a stop as he was met with a gaping crater-sized hole in the front yard. Harry entered in through the gate normally, and before he could complain about Trunks' running off, he saw it as well. They exchanged unnerved glances. Something was definitely not right.

Trunks hurled open the door, Harry trailing behind with his wand out, as they yelled anxiously,

'Hello?'

'Is everyone okay?'

'Hey Trunks? Got a surprise for you,' Meiling called from the living room.

Trunks moved into the room and stared. _'GOTEN?!'_

'Yo, Trunks!' Goten replied with a grin, which faltered when he took in Trunks' appearance. 'What happened to your hair?' He guffawed, clutching his stomach. 'Is that, like, all the rage in this world?'

'Shut up!' Trunks retorted and knocked his best friend across the head. 'What are you doing here?'

'Got quite a story for you,' Goten started, but was cut off by a hair-splitting scream.

'MY GARDEN!'

They all ran outside to find Tomoyo passed out in Chibiusa's arms. Chibiusa gaped at Trunks' hair. He expected her to laugh, but after giving some pause, she smiled gingerly and gestured to Tomoyo. 'A little help?'

He composed himself and went to lift Tomoyo into the house.

'What are we going to do about the hole?' Chibiusa asked, once they had laid Tomoyo on one of the couches.

'Hold on, I've got it,' Harry said and went outside. They watched with interest as the dirt debris spun into the air and reordered themselves to fill the hole in the ground. Grass, albeit dried out from the winter's frost, grew over the top and it was like there had never been a hole.

They heard a gruff mumble from past the front gate. They spied one of their neighbours, an old man, who walked his old Scottish terrier. The dog sniffed the gate and proceeded to mark its territory.

'Damn kids, and their promiscuity and drinking and partying,' the old man muttered and walked on.

* * *

Trunks recalled the time he had been in Goten's position, at the epicentre of interrogation as the household circled like sharks, waiting for an opening to reveal weakness. Sakura, Syaoran, Hermione and Ron arrived several hours after, and Trunks was certain that Syaoran was going to have an apoplexy.

'What is it with you girls and letting in strange men?' Syaoran muttered to Meiling. 'Especially since you're sick and your defenses are down.'

'Oh, shut up,' Meiling replied, sipping from an ornate teacup. 'He's fine. He's Trunks' friend!'

'What _are_ you doing here?' Trunks asked Goten, who smiled shrewdly. 'And _why_ are you wearing that get-up? This isn't Budokai!'

 _Budokai_ referred to the many World Martial Arts Tournaments held in their world.

'I wanted to be prepared,' Goten mumbled, scratching the back of his head.

'He was sent to help!' Meiling added defensively.

'What?' Trunks asked, eyeing his best friend suspiciously. 'Seriously, Goten?'

Goten prodded his index fingers together. 'Well, I might have been exaggerating _a little_.'

Trunks felt the vibration of his phone in his back pocket. He slid it out and brought it to his ear. 'Mom?'

'TRUNKS! TRUNKS, IS THAT YOU?! IS GOTEN THERE?!'

'Yes...'

'WHEN I SEE HIM, I'M GOING TO _KILL HIM!_ CHI-CHI IS FURIOUS! _I'M_ FURIOUS! HE STOLE THE TELEPORTATION DEVICE, WHICH I MIGHT ADD, WAS IN THE MIDDLE OF REPAIRS!'

Trunks pressed his lips together and held a hand over the mouthpiece. 'Goten, you idiot! Mom says you stole the teleportation device. Did you know it was actually getting fixed?'

Goten smiled sheepishly. 'Well, it worked, so that's all good. And besides, it was just lying around. And it's just been so _boring_ at home,' he moaned with emphasis. He then rubbed the back of his head. 'Also, school is _so_ hard...'

Trunks rolled his eyes and held the phone back to his ear. 'Mom, it's okay. Goten arrived safely. No damage.'

'I DON'T GIVE A FLYING ... ABOUT GOTEN ... I'M WORRIED ABOUT MY MACHINE! THAT THING HAS THREE YEARS OF WORK PUT INTO IT! ALL THOSE SLEEPLESS NIGHTS - BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARS —'

Trunks cringed and muttered, 'Mom, the reception is really bad. I'll call you back.' He hung up and turned to Goten. 'That was just the stupidest thing!' he snapped. 'Do you know what could have happened to you if it hadn't worked?'

'Don't sweat it, I'm here now,' Goten replied. 'Besides, I can help!'

'Please Trunks,' Meiling interceded. 'You've been nothing but helpful. Having the both of you here will really help our cause.' She turned to Syaoran. 'Please!'

Syaoran didn't look convinced.

'The real question is,' Goten said, smiling innocently, 'where do I sleep?'

Sakura stepped forward, her face a mixture of excitement and uncertainty. 'Um, you can stay in Draco's room, since there's some extra space.'

'The albino boy upstairs?' Goten asked, exchanging a wry glance with Meiling.

Syaoran looked pleased with himself. 'Yeah, you can stay with him.'

Ron chuckled beside Hermione, who looked confused. Harry and Chibiusa exchanged knowing looks of trepidation.

Goten glanced at Chibiusa, taking in her whole appearance. He then turned to give Trunks the most malevolent grin, as though to say 'you have good taste'. Trunks flushed slightly and said distractedly, 'He can sleep in the training room.'

Meiling looked appalled. 'N-No! That's okay, he can...have my room; I'll sleep on the couch.'

'Oh no, Meiling, you're unwell, we couldn't do that!' Sakura said, looking thoughtful.

'How about Ron, he's got heaps of space,' Meiling suggested, smirking at Ron who suddenly looked aghast.

'Okay, okay, let's take stock of the sleeping arrangements,' Hermione said, stepping into the centre.

'Well, he's not staying in _my_ room,' Draco said, suddenly appearing in the entryway, nose red and wrapped in his Snuggy, which was looking a bit faded.

'No, _no-one_ wants that, Malfoy,' Syaoran agreed, smirking.

'Well, he can't stay in mine – it's a mess, I'll admit,' Ron said, folding his arms. 'You know, rubbish everywhere. Some trousers strewn about. Just _terrible_.'

Hermione rolled her eyes.

'My room only fits one bed,' Harry volunteered. 'I'm fine with sleeping on the couch.'

'Oh, I'm sorry,' Sakura said, frowning. 'I didn't mean for it to get complicated.' She looked at the watch on her wrist and smiled. 'Look, it's almost 10PM. Goten, you can have my bed for tonight.'

Trunks saw Syaoran's eyebrows shoot up to vanish under his fringe. Was that a look of hope, or horror?

Trunks felt a bit horrified himself when Syaoran suddenly seemed to change tactics and adopted a casual stance. Syaoran patted Goten uncharacteristically on the shoulder, smiling greasily like a car salesman. 'Hey, you know what? Take my bed. Trunks and I already share a room and all. We can sort out other details tomorrow.'

Goten seemed taken aback, but happy. 'Oh, sure! Thanks, bro.'

'Oh, but where will you sleep then, Syaoran?' Sakura asked.

Syaoran grinned impishly, glancing at her. 'I'll take the couch.'

It sounded like an inconsequential statement, but the look that Syaoran gave Sakura suggested to Trunks that Syaoran was not talking about living room furniture. The other teenagers were turned away, not seeing Sakura's eyes widen slightly as she bit her lip.

Trunks noted then that Syaoran and Sakura wanted privacy, a rare commodity in that household. Even though it had been unprecedented, he felt guilty for Goten burdening them by taking more space and privacy from them. Trunks decided that if _he_ couldn't have a nice Valentine's Day, at least _they_ could.

To draw attention away from Syaoran, Trunks grabbed Goten's arm and pulled him towards the stairs, shepherding the others forward. 'Alright, time for bed!' he said distractedly. The others started to follow (appropriately) sheepishly.

'Oh, Tomoyo,' Meiling stifled a yawn, as though remembering something, 'there was a package for you in the mail.' She pointed to a large _human-sized_ package that leaned against the wall.

Tomoyo moved from the base of the stairs and tentatively tore at the top of the package. She stumbled back in shock. It was a life-like replica of Sanrio, in all his spiky-haired, bespectacled glory, made entirely of dark chocolate.

'Blimey,' muttered Ron, who's expression seemed to alternate between horror and mild jealousy.

Hermione gaped. 'Um, White Day came early?'

'Odd,' muttered Chibiusa. 'I thought he'd left her alone, lately?'

Tomoyo's hands shook as she read the card aloud: 'I shan't quit as I could never lay to waste the noble heart of my fair Daidouji-sama to the unworthy grasp of my heathen rival! As the common-folk doth sayeth best: IT IS ON! And Happy Valentine's Day.'

Tomoyo exchanged a horrified look with Harry and threw the card onto the floor. 'I'm...going to bed.'

'That's enough of that for one night,' Hermione said in revulsion, resuming their exodus up the stairs.

'This really is a stupid holiday,' Ron mumbled as they all moved to their bedrooms.

* * *

Karasu sat still in thought, like a weather-worn angel on a grave stone. She looked up as Peter and another entered, their return long awaited. Their expressions were grave.

'What say you on the doctor?' she demanded.

The man looked up nervously. 'The doctor is dead.'

'What do you mean "dead"?' she asked, her cool tone heating up slightly.

'It seems he's been murdered by his own creation.'

'That idiot,' she groused, turning her head and glaring at nothing, dark hair pooling over one shoulder. 'I warned him about being overzealous. I suppose we can't count on _that one_ anymore. Hmph. We'll go onto the next one.'

'Well, there's actually a bigger problem at the moment, Milady.'

'I'm listening?'

'That _thing_ has escaped. It won't be long before it finds its way here.'

'Escaped, you say?' she uttered thoughtfully, tapping a finger to her cheek. 'Well, the boy has assured me that at their level, they're no match for the likes of _it_.'

'Won't it obstruct the plan, Lady Karasu? If the Phoenix Fighters finally lose…and so soon…'

'Perhaps. But, I must admit, I'm rather interested to see how they will handle it.' Her lips curled into a wicked smile.

Peter returned an awkward, buck-toothed grin.


	2. Go Go, Phoenix Fighters!

**Chapter 2: Go Go, Phoenix Fighters!**

The household rose late that Saturday morning. Most crowded around the breakfast table, some locking arms to make room on the benches for their newest housemate, Goten. Trunks noted that Syaoran had sneakily risen early and was busy popping toast and lathering them with peanut butter, jam and chocolate spread. Sakura joined him meekly and brewed a pot of coffee and a pot of tea.

'Blimey!' they heard Ron cry from the main entrance. 'Where'd it go?!'

Curiously they ambled out into the main entrance and saw that the chocolate Sanrio had been replaced by a small pile of crumbs surrounded by remnants of wrapping paper.

'Kero?' Sakura wondered aloud, to which her guardian skittered down to attend to her inquiry. 'Did you eat Tomoyo's chocolate?'

'Why do you always think it was me?' Kero exclaimed.

'Well, there was a human-sized chocolate, so naturally you'd be our first guess,' Meiling explained.

Kero's eyes widened expressively, appearing too large for his eye sockets. 'Hold on…there was a _person sized_ chocolate, and you didn't tell me?!' He hyperventilated in mid air for several moments then started to wail dramatically. 'You guys are just too cruel! I hope you get cavities!'

Trunks directed a scrutinising look at an innocuous-looking Goten, who had smudges of brown at the edges of his mouth and on the hem of Trunks' borrowed bed shirt.

Kero continued on his tirade, his lungs imperceptibly large for his miniature frame as he bellowed, 'THE _ONE_ DAY THAT IS ABOUT CHOCOLATE, AND YOU DIDN'T GET ANY FOR ME?! AFTER _EVERYTHING_ I'VE DONE FOR YOU!'

It was a sad and amusing scene that ended abruptly when Tomoyo stuck a piece of toast with chocolate spread in Kero's path. Kero munched down and chortled with delight.

Trunks chuckled at Goten's perplexed expression. 'Welcome to Tomoeda.'

* * *

After discussing more permanent sleeping arrangements, with Trunks and Goten setting up futons in the training room (Trunks could tell that Syaoran was chuffed), they brought Goten up to speed on their current mission; what they had learnt so far and what they intended to find out. When they came to the discussion of Voldemort, Goten was rapt, curious about the laws of magic that existed in their realm, that were so different from his own understanding.

Goten folded his arms and nodded solemnly. 'Ah, so the evil wizard has some evil creation doing his bidding? Kinda like Babidi and Majin Buu, eh, Trunks?'

Trunks briefly explained to the others that Babidi had been an evil alien wizard, and that Buu had been a pink monster that he and Goten had helped to defeat in their youth. He then turned to Goten, shrugging his shoulders as he said, 'They're not quite the same. We don't really know who we're dealing with, as the wizard in question is supposed to be dead. But someone just as powerful is acting on his behalf and sending weird minions out to fight us.'

Goten blinked rapidly. 'Uh… so it's something like Frieza?'

'Ugh—do you have to bring that up AGAIN?' Ron snapped.

Goten lifted a brow. 'Wha?'

Trunks sighed, shuddering at the memory. 'Long story.'

* * *

Most of the household headed over to the shopping mall and Trunks took Goten on a tour around the neighbourhood. As they walked down the street, Goten seemed to be getting more and more agitated. He described at length about how boring and quiet it was, his arms tucked behind his head. He asked in exaggerated pain 'why is the technology so primitive?' and 'where are all the dinosaurs?' He did not take kindly to the fact that technology was at least 100 years behind in this world, and that dinosaurs had actually been extinct for millions of years.

'You didn't have to come,' Trunks snapped when Goten sighed heavily for the hundredth time. He then felt guilty at the hurt look on his best friend's face; after all, he too had come uninvited, and so had Ron's sister, Ginny. It had taken a while, but he finally felt akin to the others, as though finally penetrating their friendship group. Trunks groaned and patted his friend on the back.

'Hey, sorry, Goten. A lot's been happening, and it was just a real shock to see you. But I did miss you, buddy.'

Goten smiled ruefully, his arms now slack by his sides. 'Well, you're kind of right. I did come of my own freewill. It's just that Grade 11 at Orange Star High is _such_ a pain. I don't know how Gohan did it.' He shook his head. 'No, I do know how. Gohan is a _genius._ ' He grinned broadly, slapping Trunks on the back. 'It's great to get away from it all.'

Trunks rolled his eyes and gripped his friend's upper arm to halt him. 'You're not going to get off easy. If you want to stick around, you have to do as we do.'

'Oh, of course!' Goten said, nodding.

'Then you know that you'll have to go to school.'

Goten looked horrified.

'Once you get the hang of it, it's not so bad,' Trunks said reassuringly. 'I can teach you the basics. Like how there are nine planets in this galaxy, and as far as anyone knows, humans are the only self-aware bipedal species on this Earth – if you don't consider, well from what Harry said, there are also werewolves, vampires, elves...'

Goten looked annoyed. 'Such a boring realm! What did I get myself into? …Oh well… I guess that's just as well.' He stared vacantly into the sky. 'Well, at least I'll be going to school with her.'

'Hrm? Her who?'

Goten looked at Trunks and chuckled. 'Oh, nothing!'

Trunks wanted to probe further but decided to let it slide.

The topic came up again later that afternoon. Syaoran was in the kitchen chopping vegetables for a stew for dinner that night, and Tomoyo asked the girls to go to the grocery store to purchase ingredients for dessert. As Meiling alighted from the couch and followed the other girls out, Goten stared after her like a puppy.

'What's with that staring, Goten?' Trunks queried.

Ron and Harry looked over at Goten.

'She's pretty,' Goten mumbled sheepishly, his cheeks flushed. 'Do you think she likes me?'

Trunks leaned back on his hands. 'You like _her_? Yeesh.'

Goten looked offended. 'Why? What's wrong with her?'

'Goten, dating her would be like dating your mother,' Trunks replied with a shrug.

'No way!' Goten said defensively.

Trunks deadpanned, 'She's exactly like her.'

Ron leaned forward, eyebrows arched. 'Whoa, Meiling's like your mum?' He counted down on his fingers as he continued, 'So, she's quite fit, but she's got a bad attitude, complains a lot, beats people up, and is kind of scary?'

Trunks kept his expression flat. 'You said it, not me.'

Goten's eyes widened at Ron. 'It almost sounds like you've met my mum…'

'I've met Meiling,' Ron supplied, spreading his palms open with a smirk.

'See, Goten?' Trunks said. 'It's just like with Gohan and Videl. You both definitely have a mother-complex.'

Goten scoffed and folded his arms. 'Whatever, Trunks.' He grinned slyly. 'Actually, are you sure _you_ don't have one? Chibiusa is _just like_ Bulma: a spoiled brat with weird hair. She's pretty hot though.' He said the last part in a faraway tone.

Harry and Ron stared at Trunks with interest. Trunks blinked rapidly and then blanched. How had he not seen the similarities before? He recalled hearing the others, particularly Goku and Kuririn, talk candidly about the teenaged Bulma from their youth. She was intelligent and thoughtful, but annoyingly 'princess-prone'. Stopping to think, Chibiusa wasn't much different. Then Trunks frowned, realising it after the fact: did Goten just call his _mother_ "hot"?

'Wait…are you talking about Chibiusa, or my mother?' Trunks asked slowly.

Goten grinned with satisfaction. 'I could be talking about both.'

Trunks scowled, his shoulders raising sharply. 'What the hell?!'

Harry pushed his frames back up his nose. 'I think Ron's the same. I mean, Hermione is a bit on the _bossy_ side. A lot like your mum, Ron.'

Ron's ears went red but he looked pleased with himself. 'I just like strong, confident, bright women. Nothing wrong with that.'

Goten nudged Trunks in the rib. ' _Yeah_ , Trunks! Nothing at all!'

Trunks folded his arms importantly. 'Well, Chibiusa is pretty sharp. We're in the same class, so…'

Syaoran walked in, mopping his hands with a tablecloth as he sat beside Harry.

'What about you, Syaoran?' Harry asked, and explained the situation to Syaoran because he looked confused. 'Is Sakura anything like your mother?'

Twin pink patches appeared on Syaoran's cheeks as his entire form shuddered, his hands gripping the tablecloth tightly. 'What? No — _not at all._ That woman terrifies me.'

Ron leaned back and muttered to Harry, 'So, that's why he never went for the cousin?'

Harry shrugged, his lips quirking slightly as Trunks suppressed a laugh.

Goten looked thoughtful for a moment and then lifted his arms behind his head. 'Whatever, you guys. She's a lovely, _attractive_ , independent young woman. You just don't know her like I do.'

'You've known one another for two days,' Trunks said.

'Are you talking about my cousin?' Syaoran queried.

Goten looked slightly afraid.

Syaoran shrugged. 'I'm not that possessive kind of cousin. Meiling can look after herself – the last few days have confirmed as much.' He shook his head. 'I honestly don't have an opinion on this. Just tread carefully.'

Goten looked relieved, but Trunks wasn't sure if Syaoran meant that statement in defence of Meiling, or in defence of Goten.

* * *

A week went by since Valentine's Day. In that time, Goten managed to wiggle his way in as yet another mysterious transfer student at Seijou high school. At first, the principal had had a fit at the audacity of another random foreign student being transferred. Fortunately with the aid of Hermione Granger's memory altering spells, he came to accept Goten very quickly.

As the youngest of them all, Goten was sorted into the 3rd year, thus he wasn't in the same class as any of his 4th year housemates. Though Goten was open-minded, he was nervous about saying something stupid, something he was particularly prone to doing. Since it was clear Goten wasn't from in-town Sakura was forced to lie, telling everyone he was from the rural village of Kara Town, located far from Tomeda, way out West of Tokyo. Strangely enough, once she told people this, people didn't ask further questions. They simply regarded Goten with pitying stares.

Takashi and the others were introduced to Goten. They all gave the same pitying looks everyone else had.

This went on for four days.

Sakura, Meiling, Tomoyo, as well as some of their school friends, stood idly by their lockers as they stowed away their belongings.

'Is there something wrong with being from Kara Town?' Meiling asked casually, growing mildly concerned about the way people whispered or were overly polite whenever Goten entered a room.

Takashi glanced at her, along with a stone-faced Naoko and Rika. 'You mean you really don't know? Something weird has been happening there. My uncle lives nearby actually and is quite worried.'

Meiling gave him a cynical glance, not convinced. It was Yamazaki Takashi after all.

Naoko shook her head sadly. 'It's been in the news lately. I heard there's a flu epidemic.'

Rika nodded. 'Everyone knows Goten is from Kara. I guess we just figured that's why he transferred here. But he doesn't seem to have the flu, right? It's just I've heard that strain is particularly fatal.'

Sakura gasped. She did vaguely remember hearing about the flu in the news. Perhaps that was why such a random-seeming place like Kara Town had popped in her head. She felt guilt rise inside her. She had made Goten a social outcast, the exact opposite of what she intended.

* * *

Home life was 'interesting' as well. The maids did not take kindly to having another guest to tend to or prepare meals for. Unlike Draco, Goten was not a picky eater. By contrast—he was a bottomless pit. Between him, Trunks and Ron, (and unbeknownst to them, Kero) it seemed near impossible to keep up with their metabolic demands. Furthermore, Goten never had the luxury of living in a mansion or having servants like a butler or maid. It took several reminders to get Goten accustomed to being 'normal' both at home _and_ at school, around Earthlings, around _Muggles_. But his tendency to ask pointed questions at the wrong moment reminded them of Ginny.

So naturally, the group was greatly looking forward to the weekend. They settled in the living room, again commencing their weekly review, OWL reading and study session.

'Ugh, this is way worse than Orange Star,' Goten grumbled. He lay on his back, glaring up at the ceiling.

'Quit complaining,' Trunks grumbled, noticing a similar expression of contempt on Syaoran's face directed at Goten.

'Oh, but he's bloody right, isn't he?' Ron moaned, tossing sheets of paper over his shoulder. 'I've always hated writing essays. This one is due on Monday. And they want me to type it on the bloody computer.'

Meiling grinned impishly. 'Ah, well at least you've learned how to say "computer" properly. Too bad you don't get graded on that.'

Ron shot her a glare.

Hermione cleared her throat audibly, drawing attention to herself. 'I know it's rather unusual for me to say, but there are things other than school that we need to focus on.'

The others looked surprised to hear the words come from her mouth. They watched as Hermione brought forward a stack of papers from behind her back, then dropped it in front of them. 'It's about this Karasu.'

The others leaned in, their eyes wide. The corner of Syaoran's mouth tugged into a slight grin. 'Don't tell me—you've figured it out?'

Hermione sighed, shaking her head slightly. 'Er, well not quite. But I think I have a lead.' At the words, they stared intently. 'You see, I examined all publicly-accessible information about the incident at Crown Institute. It turns out there was only one patient who was unaccounted for. Her name is Renona Karasuhoshi.'

The room was suddenly, noticeably silent.

Tomoyo tapped a finger to her cheek as though imagining the intricate strokes of the kanji in her head. 'Karasu…hoshi? Could that mean…?'

Hermione nodded slowly. 'Simply put, the main kanji used is _karasu_ …meaning raven or crow. Then _hoshi_ , meaning "star". Remember the clue about "following black feathers"? What we need to do now is figure out who this Renona person is. I believe she has something, if not _everything_ to do with this massacre, Karasu…and You-Know-Who.'

Goten's hand shot up suddenly, like a school-child. 'Sorry? Who's that again?'

The others ignored him as they continued. 'So, once we find out who she is, then what?'

Hermione nodded. 'We find out if she was a witch. Then we find out if she had any special powers, like dimension-related ones.' She then sighed sadly. 'I guess that means I'll have to spend the weekend at the wizard archives. I'm already close to falling behind on my advanced calculus homework.'

Several of them shuddered at hearing the words 'advanced calculus'.

'OH! I REMEMBER NOW! IT'S _VOLDEMORT_. That's the guy, right?' Goten declared with a proud smile. Next, he faltered, confused as Hermione and Ron glared at him. 'What? Am I wrong?'

Trunks rolled his eyes. 'Ugh, Goten…' There were some things they had forgotten to emphasise.

Tomoyo beamed. 'Well, it's good news, isn't it? We've got a development. This is good.' She glanced sideways at Harry, who seemed to be staring for a prolonged period of time at an unopened letter. Harry seemed to notice, for he slowly raised his head, meeting her eyes.

'It's Ginny.'

Tomoyo nodded silently.

Ron let out a low whistle. 'Is it good news or bad news?'

Harry quietly unravelled the paper. After a few minutes skimming through, he sighed. 'It's…bad.'

'Well what are you waiting for? Are you going to read it out loud, or not?'

Several of the teens looked up with baffled faces as it was Draco who had spoken. His face looked stiff and tense, and a deep crease had formed between his brows.

Harry narrowed his eyes at him before turning to the others and explaining the rest. 'All she said was she heard there's been people disappearing in Japan from Mr. Weasley. She assumed we knew about it and was wondering why we haven't said anything.'

Sakura bit her lip. 'What? But we haven't heard of anything like that in the news.' The thought horrified her. She had remembered years ago when she had to capture the Erase card, and even more recently still when she had seen the wrath of the Void card. People disappearing…it was not something she wanted to see again.

Harry then pulled out a copy of slip of parchment that was attached to the letter. It looked like a confidential document as at its bottom was some official-looking seal.

'There's more. She figured out we probably didn't know. Seems the DA, Dumbledore's Army, has been hard at work. They were able to find this…in the new Headmaster's office. Umbridge's.'

It was reported all over the media that surrounding towns had been quarantined due to a 'highly contagious' virus, identified as a mutation of the bird flu, which had escalated to dangerous levels in a short matter of weeks. In truth, Japan's Ministry of Magic had been working at length to suppress the fact that the four surrounding towns had entire populations, thousands, suddenly gone without explanation. This paper, a top-secret correspondence between the Japanese and British Ministries, revealed all of it.

Sakura and the others agreed that they needed to investigate the disappearances. Anxious that their collective skills may not yet be sufficient, they reinforced the protective spells around the house and had Hermione stay in the home with Tomoyo. Hermione had agreed to this as well; she still had more information to sift through on Renona Karasuhoshi. Diana insisted on coming, being Chibusa's mentor and Sakura likewise requested that Yue and Cerberos' true forms be in attendance. It had been just their luck that Yukito happened to be in town that weekend. Needless to say, they were grateful.

In a group of twelve, the Phoenix Fighters and their allies travelled to the most recent site of disappearances.

* * *

The thing raised its bulbous skull to stare into the distance, a lone figure in an empty space.

The air whistled by, carrying with it the last of a child's cry, a mewling creature now long gone.

Rags of clothing were scattered around the thing's feet, like nightmarish confetti, a reminder of the once abundant life within the now empty town.

The thing's slit nostrils opened like gills, sampling the wind. Salivating, it licked its lips – which were mottled and bumpy like scar tissue – in anticipation. A deep guttural rumble rose from its belly, an abomination of a laugh.

Twelve pin pricks of raw energy, like stars winking across its galaxy of senses, were approaching.

The thing laid back on its haunches. Among those twelve sparks of light was its final puzzle piece, when the thing, at last, would be made whole.

* * *

The group stepped off the freeway and onto tarmac, having travelled in early morning to their destination. The sun had just begun to rise, their shadows cast long and purple across the pavement. The wind blew softly, slightly chilly but not unpleasant. It was eerily quiet.

Sakura turned to regard the others. As Tomoyo could not be there, she had insisted on their wearing a range of her new costume designs: a fitted spandex suit (with a skirt on the girls' rendition), knee and elbow length boots and gloves accented with flame motifs and round helmets with wings on either side. Each suit was the colour of their respective Phoenix Fighter badges, exceptions being a black for Harry and yellow for Goten. Their costumes resembled a candied rainbow, clashing with the pale platinum of Yue, silvery purple of Diana and warm gold of Cerberos. Trunks and Goten pulled awkwardly at the stiff collars of suits that cut close to the skin.

The conversation before they had left the house was still fresh in Sakura's ears:

 _'You simply must wear them._ _It'll be the perfect outfit! I've made them aerodynamic and extra-durable so they're water-proof, fire-resistant and shock-absorbent!' chimed Tomoyo._

Ron had winced and mumbled nervously, _'I sure hope that isn't indicative of anything.'_

Harry had exchanged odd glances with the rest, particularly Hermione and Meiling. _'Are we…dressed as the Power Rangers? Because I vaguely remember Dudley having action figures that looked just like this…'_

Tomoyo beamed _. 'Ah! The Super Sentai Phoenix Fighters!'_ her eyes twinkled as she gazed off into space, then her mouth retracted into a small pout. _'I can't believe I won't be able to record this.'_

Now finally, they were here. On the edge of a place reduced to a grand stretch of shale and concrete: Kara Town. Trunks had his sword and harness slung over one shoulder. Not wanting to be rude, Chibiusa had worn the suit out of the house, but had since transformed into Sailor Chibi Moon.

Sakura closed her eyes and extended her senses outward, like fingers combing the air. She felt the subtle pulse of trees, the grass, the blooms and small insects hovering low to the ground. There was however no trace of a greater energy, no sign of human or intelligent life. She opened her eyes.

'We should split up,' she said, counting names on her fingers. 'Meiling, Chibiusa and I will go north.'

Meiling and Chibiusa exchanged confused glances.

Diana smiled. 'I will come along as well.'

Syaoran nodded and turned to the others. 'Alright, Trunks, Goten, and…Malfoy. You guys go west. Ron, Harry and I will go east.'

Draco looked sourly at Goten, but didn't seem to mind being sent off with Trunks.

'What about us?' Cerberos growled.

Sakura nodded. 'Right! Yue, you go with Syaoran, Harry and Ron. Cerberos, please go with Trunks and the others.'

Cerberos stepped towards Draco and showed the pale boy his canines; Draco winced.

Yue glided over and nodded to Syaoran.

Syaoran turned back to Sakura with a determined look in his eyes, sword held firmly at his side.

Sakura had chosen her group purposefully. Syaoran understood as well. Both knew that she and Syaoran could hold their own respectively. Meiling, with no magic was vulnerable and Sakura was the most powerful magically. But either way, either group had someone trained in magic—Eastern or Western, someone trained in martial arts, and a guardian. So whatever they were up against, if they found it…they'd be ready.

'Be careful,' he said.

Sakura nodded firmly. 'You too.'

The three groups separated in opposite directions.

* * *

At least 20 minutes had passed.

Trunks, Goten and Draco walked as Cerberos soared above them, his muzzle moving right and left to see more effectively into the distance. They wandered down several streets, guardedly peering into the windows of quaint homes that dotted the suburbs. There wasn't anyone in sight. No aura felt. What was most unnerving were the drifts of clothing that littered the paths, damp with morning dew.

'This is just creepy,' Goten muttered nervously. 'It's like everyone's been spirited away.'

'It's more likely that they've been killed,' Draco sniffed.

Goten glared in his direction, though it was masked by the dark of his helmet's visor. 'Meiling was right about you.'

Draco's eyes flashed behind his silver helmet as he drew up his chest. 'What did she have to say, then?'

Goten grimaced. He seemed to note that Draco was several inches taller than him, so compensated by puffing out his chest and flexing his strong arms. 'She said—'

'Guys!' Trunks snapped and waved a gloved arm between them. 'Not the time!'

Then they felt it; a flash of energy.

Cerberos beat his wings heavily as he landed in front of them, his piercing golden gaze directed into the distance. 'There is a figure, about 400 metres ahead,' he growled. 'Intelligent, but not human.'

'Trunks,' Goten said, sounding startled, staring in the same direction as Cerberos. 'That guy kinda looks like you!'

Trunks gasped and turned. But the 'guy' he spoke of was gone.

* * *

Sakura, Meiling and Chibiusa's shadows stretched across the ground as they crossed a vacant school oval. Their mood was low; they had just seen a mound of elementary school children's shoes piled up against the side of a school building.

Meiling suddenly stopped and held her arms protectively in front of Sakura and Chibi Moon. She squinted her eyes and exclaimed, 'Isn't that Trunks?'

'We shouldn't have crossed paths this early,' Sakura muttered thoughtfully.

Meiling shrugged. 'Chibi Moon, call him over!'

Chibi Moon looked at her sullenly. ' _Me?_ _Why?'_

Meiling replied, her voice muffled, 'He's with my ex-fling and the guy that I'm sweet on. It would be less awkward for you.'

Chibi Moon thought that Meiling meant Malfoy and their new housemate, Goten. Chibi Moon rolled her eyes and groused ' _fine!'_ before starting to march over to what looked like Trunks. Her white boots sank in soft grass and she couldn't shake off her nerves. As she got closer, she realised that she had lost sight of him. Perhaps she, Sakura and Meiling were overwhelmed by the absence of people and had simply imagined him to fill in the space. She breathed deeply and turned back towards the other girls.

A hand dropped onto her left shoulder.

Chibi Moon shrieked and spun around, her pink heart wand thrust out before her. Her heart hammered in her chest as she lowered her wand; it was Trunks after all. She took a second look and realised he was not wearing the blue helmet and suit from earlier.

This man was taller and had longer hair that framed a tanned face with high cheekbones and a set of intelligent blue eyes. He wore a long-sleeved shirt under an elaborate breastplate, his long hair was tied back into a messy ponytail. As the wind blew, it caught strands of his hair which danced romantically across his face. _He was beautiful_. She caught herself staring and coughed.

The man's eyes widened. 'Oh, um, sorry, Miss. I must have frightened you. I noticed you pass by. Do you live in this town, perhaps?'

Chibi Moon's mouth opened. 'I…'

Meiling and Sakura bounded over to them. They stopped suddenly and gawped at this strange man.

'Trunks?' Meiling gasped. She quickly pulled off her red helmet, allowing her dark hair to cascade to her shoulders. Sakura followed suit. 'But what happened? You look…different?'

The man looked just as confused as they.

'You are Trunks,' Sakura said slowly, her eyes narrowed. 'Your aura is just like his.'

'Oh, I'm sorry,' the man muttered and blushed slightly as he absently rubbed the back of his neck. This threw Chibi Moon off; Trunks was never polite or shy. 'I hadn't realised that there would be another me. I will need to explain. You see I'm from another dimension, several years into the future.'

* * *

Syaoran, Ron and Harry had walked around for about two hours, unable to locate any other living creature. They had seen far too many abandoned items of clothing and littered dog collars on the pavements. What had unnerved Syaoran the most was a rattle and shredded blanket lying not far from an overturned pram. A deep sorrow rose in him, gradually replaced by a searing need for revenge.

Whoever, or whatever, had done this would pay.

Yue's silvery ponytail trailing behind him like spun diamonds as he soared elegantly above them, surveying the horizon. He murmured faintly and whipped his wings as he landed squarely before them. 'There's a life force about a kilometre ahead,' he said calmly, his silver eyes narrowed. 'It is a foe.'

Syaoran automatically poised his sword. He was uncertain of why he had not sensed it. He decided to remove his helmet. Perhaps it was having some kind of effect on him.

'What's he doing, Yue?' Syaoran asked.

Yue gasped and took a single step backwards. 'It's advancing towards us,' he whispered and raised his arms, a bow and arrow of iridescent energy appearing between them. The tip of the bow glittered like a star and strained against his hold, wishing to be released. 'Prepare yourselves.'

 _'It?'_ Syaoran rasped.

* * *

They followed this "future" Trunks across town until they came to a crash site. They regarded a steel circular vessel lodged deeply into the earth, grass and dirt scattered everywhere. The door to the vessel had been torn from its hinges and flung several feet away, now lodged into the ground like a sheathed sword. There was a long ditch in the dirt coming out of the vessel as if something had dragged itself through the mud, trailing all the way onto a cement path, and then vanished.

'A-Aliens?' Meiling muttered fearfully.

'Not quite,' Future Trunks replied. He turned to Sakura, who started to explain their mission. Chibi Moon watched him closely as he gestured animatedly with his hands, his eyes round with expression. Sakura nodded and responded too softly for Chibi Moon to hear.

Diana sighed. 'Time-travel, without magic. Amazing, isn't it?' She wandered off to listen on beside Sakura.

Chibi Moon had time-travelled herself so long ago. The thought that this Trunks had done it as well was indeed surprising.

Meiling raised an eyebrow at Chibi Moon. 'Why are you staring?'

Chibi Moon shook her head swiftly. She had not been staring; she had been looking at him like a normal person in their situation would. 'I'm not.'

Meiling smirked. 'It's like looking into the future, isn't it? Imagine _that's_ Trunks in a few years…'

Chibi Moon continued to shake her head. She felt heat rush to her face. She didn't understand, she didn't have anything to be embarrassed about. 'Not at all. I mean— _he_ —looks nothing like _him_.' Which was true anyhow. Future Trunks was mature and respectful, something Trunks had no clue about.

As Sakura spoke with Future Trunks, Meiling folded her arms and analysed this Trunks more carefully. Chibi Moon followed her gaze, and when she looked at him again, her heart raced.

'A little taller, a bit more muscle, longer hair,' Meiling said thoughtfully, 'then it's basically the same guy.'

Chibi Moon waved a hand dismissively. They were not alike at all. 'No. It's pretty obvious that they're not the same person. This guy is too much of a gentleman. Also, he has more pronounced…cheekbones.' She glanced at him once more and looked away distractedly. 'He also uses his right hand to gesture much more than Briefs. Plus, he has two cheek dimples whereas Briefs has just one, on the left. As a matter-of-fact, he's also missing the scar.' She clapped a hand over her mouth.

Meiling's smirk grew. ' _What_ scar?'

"Their" Trunks had a small scar beneath his chin that was only really visible when he blushed. She had noticed it recently, but had not dwelled on it. 'N-Nothing.'

Meiling nudged her in the rib. 'And to notice dimples? Aha! So you _definitely_ like one of them then?'

Chibi Moon nudged her back. ' _Enough_ already. So annoying.' Chibi Moon was reminded of Usagi, the teenaged version of her mother who always teased her about things like this. Chibi Moon frowned, quickly adding, 'Besides…I have a boyfriend.' She felt a pang of sadness as she said it. Her boyfriend, Elios, still wasn't talking to her.

Future Trunks turned to regard Chibi Moon. Their eyes met. She felt her throat hitch as she tripped and was saved from falling by Meiling's grip. She heard her heart thud in her ears as Meiling chuckled.

* * *

Harry and Ron lifted their wands with determined looks. They heard the whistle of violently flapping wings and were blasted off their feet by an unseen force. As Syaoran pushed himself to his feet and prepared to summon a Thunder attack, he heard Yue cry 'Take cover!' as they were blasted into the ground a second time. Syaoran's teeth clacked as he felt the back of his head split open, a hot rush of pain. He strained against the pain and watched as Yue shot an energy arrow into the chest of a green reptilian creature. The creature croaked as it recoiled, its wings whistling as it spun in the air. Yue released a second arrow that streaked past the creature's deformed head.

Harry and Ron directed a torrent of offensive spells at the creature, yellow and red light shooting from their wands. The creature laughed gutturally and swooped towards them. Syaoran pushed off from the ground and summoned a hot ribbon of lightning that struck the creature on its back. The creature made a gargling sound and looped into the air, smoke coiling from a wound on its back.

'Someone call the others!' Harry cried somewhere to Syaoran's left.

Syaoran shut his eyes tightly. His stomach lurched at the sensation of warm, thick blood running down his back. He felt dizzy.

'Syaoran!' Ron cried as Syaoran's vision blurred.


	3. Spell Games

**Chapter 3: Spell Games**

'Are you sure, Goten?' Trunks asked sceptically as he pulled off his helmet and held it under his arm. His hair was plastered to his head in the shape of the helmet. 'The light does play off these visors.'

Goten nodded his head frantically. 'No really, I saw it, I swear!'

Trunks seemed suddenly aware of his surroundings, a steely look in his eyes. 'Hold on. I sensed something! You guys wait here.' He pushed the helmet back on his head with a grimace and shot up into the sky, blasting off into the distance.

Cerberos nodded, the ruby glistening on his forehead in the late morning light. 'I'll have a look, too.' He beat his heavy pearlescent wings and soared away.

Goten bent his knees ready to fly in pursuit when Draco pulled his arm roughly, making Goten fall onto his backside.

'What was that for?!' Goten exclaimed as he jumped back onto his feet.

Draco shook his head, still gripping Goten's arm tightly, his wand in the other hand pointed towards the ground. 'I'll be damned if _all_ of you go off and leave me by myself in this—this _ghost town—_ with some _who-knows-what_ lurking about the place.'

Goten was tempted to fly off with Draco dangling perilously from his arm, but he resisted the urge begrudgingly. Instead, he stared wryly at Draco. 'Really? I thought you'd much prefer to be on your own.'

Draco stiffened and released Goten. 'True. But If I go down, you're going down with me. Can't leave anything to chance.'

'What does that even mean?' Goten asked, exasperation in his tone.

'Meiling,' Draco replied, tapping the tip of his wand on his other gloved hand.

Goten's mouth fell open as he uttered, 'But you two aren't together!'

Draco sneered. 'Doesn't matter. If I can't have her, neither can you.'

Goten shook his head incredulously. 'You can't be serious. Are you really talking about something like this now? A _whole town_ just got eradicated— _hello?_ '

Draco was about to respond rudely when they heard the crunch of gravel under boots. The two boys whipped around to see Trunks arrive with Sakura, Chibi Moon and Meiling. Goten blinked. Trunks had changed his clothes for some reason, now donning loose trousers tucked into boots and a shirt covered by a detailed breastplate. 'Hey Trunks, did you get changed?' He squinted his eyes. 'Is that _Saiyajin armour?_ '

Trunks stared at Goten in confusion. 'I'm sorry, but I don't believe we've met.'

Goten snorted. 'Very funny, Trunks, ha-ha…' He took off his own helmet and shook out his unruly black hair. 'I get it, everyone can't pull off the "sentai look" like you can.' He stared more closely. 'Was your hair that long before?'

Trunks peered back at Goten. 'You look a lot like Son Goku. Are you related?'

Goten laughed nervously. 'Come on, Trunks! I'm only, like, his _son_!'

Trunks looked shocked; this unnerved Goten.

Sakura stepped between them, waving her hands apologetically. 'It's a long story, but he's not really Trunks. I mean he is, but he's from the future.'

Goten and Draco gawped at Sakura and muttered, ' _What?'_

They felt a rush of wind over their heads and watched, dumbfounded as another Trunks, fully dressed in his shining blue suit, plummeted down and landed on his boots, standing upright. 'Hey,' he said, waving at Goten. 'I couldn't see where they've…' He turned silently and stared for a long while at the other Trunks. He slowly pulled off his helmet and continued to stare, eyes wide like dinner plates.

'No way…' he breathed.

* * *

The creature shot past Yue's arrow and reeled towards them. Harry watched as though the thing moved in slow motion. He took in the mottled face which had the texture of peat moss, the thin pupils on reddish bulbous eyes and the bumpy skin of its lips. Harry thought that it was an abomination, a mix of reptile and insect. But he also thought that something about it resembled a human. The very idea that this creature could be human and might have destroyed thousands of lives, made his blood run cold. The creature seemed to read his thoughts as it met his eyes. The creature sneered and veered past Harry and Ron with eerie, rattling breaths, stopping to hulk over Syaoran's unconscious green-suited form. Its back hunched.

Harry watched with sick fascination as the creature's barbed tail rose like a charmed cobra over its shoulder. Too fast to see, the tail struck down into the earth, barely missing Syaoran's ear. The tail rose again, poised to strike true. Panicking, Harry and Ron attacked the creature's back with offensive spells. However, as though it wore a protective cloak, the magic repelled off of its membranous wings.

'MOVE ASIDE!' Yue yelled.

Harry and Ron leapt away just as Yue released a shimmering arrow. The light stung Harry's eyes, but he felt a rush of relief as the arrow sliced through the creature's tail. Harry could see that the tail did not contain vertebrae as the cut exposed oozing green flesh. The top half of the tail still hung by a sliver of skin, and the barbed end dripped with a viscous purple fluid. The creature released a gurgling snarl and whirled away from Syaoran, raising its deformed limbs to beat its chest at Yue. Yue pulled back his bow arm, ready to strike again. Suddenly the creature froze like a statue, ignoring the sickly oozing of its tail; the secretions scolded the ground, confirming to Harry that it was acidic.

The creature then smirked past them and raised its wings, breathing deeply through its slit nostrils.

'Yes…' the creature rasped, sending shivers through to Harry's core, 'the energy over there is… _greater_ …'

The creature shot into the air and off into the distance like a bullet. They watched after it in horror; the _thing_ could _speak._

Yue glided down to meet them, his arms folded. 'We must pursue it, before it gets to the others.'

Ron nodded frantically. 'But Syaoran…'

Yue glanced down at Syaoran and back to Ron. 'I will contact Cerberos, and pursue the creature myself.' Before they could protest he had flown off.

Harry looked at Ron as he roughly pulled off his helmet and tucked it under his armpit. Harry noticed that his best friend's forehead and cheeks had become ruddy and damp with perspiration. Ron knew everything there was about the Wizarding World, yet, even with all the oddities that existed in their world, it paled in comparison to this creature.

Ron shakily ran a hand over his face. He let out a deep sigh, but his breath was uneven. 'So he's going after it alone? Blimey. He's barking mad, isn't he?'

'Did you see what he did to that thing? He doesn't need us,' Harry muttered. He exhaled deeply before marching limply forward and crouching alongside Syaoran who still remained on the ground. He slowly lifted the brunette boy into his lap. Harry had been scared out of his mind too, but now wasn't the time to dwell on it.

'Syaoran's really hurt.' Harry turned the boy's head gently to one side and saw a dark patch of blood. He felt a rush of panic.

 _What if he was…_

Syaoran's chest rose as he started to cough. Harry lifted Syaoran carefully into a sitting position, allowing him to clear his airways.

Ron slipped his wand under his belt and then squatted down. He patted Syaoran's cheek lightly. 'Hey, mate, are you with us?'

Syaoran groaned as he gingerly touched the back of his head. He stared at the blood on his fingers and grimaced. 'And that's why you keep your helmet on at all times, children.'

Ron smiled weakly, suddenly conscious of his exposed head. 'Tomoyo's a bloody fortune teller,' he muttered, hastily thrusting his own orange helmet back on. 'Good thing these things are water-proof. I damn near wet myself.'

'Where'd it go?' Syaoran asked, looking panicked as his eyes searched for the _thing_.

'It flew off, and Yue chased after it,' Harry explained as he and Ron helped Syaoran to his feet.

'It said something about greater energy being somewhere else,' Ron said.

It suddenly registered in Harry's mind. The creature had been intent on attacking Syaoran, because out of the four of them, he had the strongest magic. But who of them was stronger than Syaoran?

'Sakura!' Syaoran cried. His gaze became vacant as he swayed, succumbing to an onset of dizziness. He squinted his eyes to right himself and glared at Harry and Ron determinedly. 'We have to get to them, now!'

* * *

They walked in a group as Future Trunks continued his story.

'And so you see, when I went back in time to fight the androids, that _thing_ got released into that timeline.' He sighed as he folded his arms. 'I fought it there _and_ was prepared to go back to my time. But it seems to me that there's _another one_ that got released. Time travel is tricky. It can open up parallel or alternate universes and change things in unexpected…'

In spite of their caution, the group were transfixed by Future Trunks' story and demeanour.

Sailor Chibi Moon took particular interest in his description of time travel, feeling that it related to her own experience, in a way. However, the mechanics of time travel without magic seemed too time-consuming and costly. How much easier would his travel have been had he one of Sailor Pluto's Time Keys, which she had used in her years ago.

Chibi Moon glanced over at their Trunks, who seemed to be daydreaming as he muttered to Goten, 'You know… I always wondered what I'd look like with longer hair. Like, if I just let it grow.'

She frowned slightly at him; in this time of crisis, he was still annoying and vain.

Goten sighed, 'Trunks, are you even listening to him?'

Trunks nodded, smiling blissfully. 'Yeah, of course! Who could ever stop listening to me?'

Goten met Chibi Moon's eyes and grinned _knowingly_ at her. Chibi Moon blushed and hastily looked away. _What had that look meant?_

Suddenly, Future Trunks stopped, his eyes narrowed as he stared away from them. Chibi Moon knew that look; he had sensed something. Swiftly he raised his arm and unsheathed a long sword from his back. The edge of the blade rang metallically as it was released from its holster. Everyone seemed to stare in admiration. The other Trunks made a 'whooping' sound from behind. ' _Whoa_! Did I always look so cool?'

Chibi Moon quirked her eyebrows. Future Trunks had looked pretty cool.

'Hey, maybe you should get yours out too,' Goten supplied.

Trunks nodded. 'Oh, right.' Screwing his mouth in concentration, he pulled out his own sword in a similar fashion to Future Trunks. He whispered to Goten, 'I bet I look cool when I'm fighting, too.'

Goten rolled his eyes before returning his helmet to his head. Chibi Moon suppressed a giggle; his childish antics were amusing.

Future Trunks turned to the others. 'It is heading towards us now. Let's be ready to meet it.'

The others secured their helmets and held out their wands and weapons. Meiling got into a ready stance, fists up, as Diana stood rigidly on all fours at Chibi Moon's side.

The earth rumbled beneath them, throwing several off-balance. They heard a blast and an animalistic roar. In the air they saw a reptilian creature pivot out of the way of one of Cerberos' fireballs. They could feel the heat of the fire below and watched in shock as the creature rushed Cerberos and lifted its shredded tail. The pointed tail end expanded into a large funnel and seemed to vacuum the air around it. Cerberos beat his wings desperately to move away, roaring in determination. He was suddenly sucked up into the funnel, whose tail end immediately shrunk back into a point. The creature emitted a disgusting 'swallow' sound and hovered in mid-air. Aglow, its body started to vibrate and then distort, as though the bones beneath its skin rearranged themselves. When the creature turned to peer down at them, it resembled a hulking man with human facial features and body, clad in green armour with wings. Even his tail had retracted into the smalls of his back. The creature laughed a deep masculine laugh.

 _'What is that?!'_ Meiling cried in fright.

The creature glanced down at her and folded its well-muscled arms. 'I name myself in this new form. I am Cell.'

'Kero…' Sakura murmured, gazing fearfully around the space where her lion guardian had been moments before. This was the creature. Cell. Just like everyone else in the town his entire being had been swallowed up. Cell had done to the others what he had just done to him. It was a such a gruesome sight! No one deserved this! _Kero_ didn't deserve this! She clenched her teeth and screamed, 'KERO!' She growled and as though reflecting the burning mixture of rage, despair and anguish she was feeling within, she summoned the Firey card spirit. A tunnel of flames lapsed over Cell. Cell swiftly emerged from the flames and opened his mouth. He countered Firey's attack with fire breath. Sakura screamed as she fell back.

'He obtains the powers of those he absorbs!' Future Trunks yelled. 'Sakura, fall back!'

Ignoring his future counterpart, Trunks hurdled towards Cell with his sword out, ready to attack. But as though predicting his movements, Cell tilted out of the way and returned a strike of his own, knocking the sword out of Trunks' hands. Cell followed up with a second strike. Trunks caught Cell's fist, just short of getting hit. Cell smirked. He pulled him inwards by that same fist, and then bashed his head into Trunks' forehead. Yowling, Trunks faltered as he clutched his head.

Goten hastened to Trunks' side, but Cell was ready and he was met with a solid kick to the pit of his stomach.

'GAAHH!' Goten wheezed, bowling over.

Recovering quickly (aided by the helmet) Trunks watched frantically as Cell geared up to strike Goten again.

'Goten! Watch out!' Trunks hollered. But in that precise moment, Cell drove his foot under Goten's jaw, forcing his head back. Cell quickly conjured a ball of energy in his open palm.

Trunks threw his own blast, and the two energies clashed, with Cell's own beam driving Trunks' back…

Meiling eagerly came to their defence, white and red boots clattering as she sent out her own ki blast at Cell's back. Cell glanced sidelong at the girl, looking amused.

'What's this?' he chuckled.

'Meiling! No!' someone shouted, recognizing she was no match.

Alert, Goten jerked sharply, pre-emptively hurling a white flare at Cell. Cell simply whacked it out of the way like a child's dodge ball. The hollers and screams of the other fighters were heard as their group split into two, diving and scrambling to evade being hit by the redirected blast. A gaping, smouldering crater was left in its wake.

Goten and Trunks back-flipped, retreating several metres away from the monster. They stared uneasily at Cell and then traded weary glances.

'Damn it—he's fast. Really fast,' Goten mumbled breathlessly.

'Yeah? What the hell were you doing?' Trunks panted, noticing they were not at all in sync. 'It was like you're completely out of it!'

Goten shot Trunks a dirty look he couldn't see through his helmet before muttering, 'I haven't been training like you, remember?'

Cell let out a guttural laugh. His lips drew into a sneer, one word uttered with utmost confidence: 'Inferior.'

Trunks growled. 'Time to do it— _Super_.'

Nodding affirmatively, Trunks and Goten brought their hands to their sides and their sentai suited bodies exploded with a blazing golden halo.

They surged towards Cell, avoiding one of his many Cerberos-style fireballs. Two against one, they exchanged kicks and blocks in rapid succession, their bodies a blur of blue and yellow against Cell's mottled green. Just as Trunks directed a punch to Cell's face and Goten a kick to Cell's back, he vanished. Seeming to gather a sudden quickness, Cell continued in this fashion, disappearing just as they went to strike.

The boys wearily leapt back once more. 'Shit! What is with this guy?' Trunks groused.

* * *

Sakura turned frantically to Future Trunks, her pink staff gripped tightly in her hands. 'Trunks! Can't you do something to help them?'

Future Trunks' sword drooped in his hand, his gaze despairing. 'I've been studying his movements. This version of Perfect Cell is more powerful and skilful than the one I've faced. Also, perhaps doesn't help to mention that Cell _killed me_ in this form.'

 _'What?'_ Chibi Moon squeaked, taken aback by his last line.

Meiling turned abruptly, worry in her tone, 'Wait, does that mean even you can't—'

Just then, the sound of heavy breathing and feet pounding against the ground was heard from afar. The teens were attentive, eyes squinted as three, black, orange and green bodies came into view.

'It's the others!' Diana cried, facing them.

'Syaoran!' Meiling hollered, turning swiftly from Future Trunks. She and Sakura scampered over to them, noticing with unease that Harry and Ron were supporting a wobbly Syaoran.

'Syaoran's hurt,' Harry mumbled, helping Syaoran to the ground.

'I'm fine,' Syaoran grumbled defiantly from behind his green helmet. 'I just need a break, is all.'

Future Trunks looked confused as he regarded them in their distinctive, body-hugging suits. 'Uh, just how many of you are there?'

Ron peered at Future Trunks. Though Ron's face was hidden, his body language expressed confusion and distrust. 'Were you always this tall?'

Notably, their Trunks was at least 5 inches shorter than Ron, unlike this one who was as tall as Harry who was 3 inches shorter than Ron. But Ron's question went unanswered as Harry nudged him roughly in the shoulder, directing his attention to the ongoing clash between Cell and the blue and yellow clad fighters.

Ron swore loudly at the sight of them. 'I guess _it_ got here first.'

'Wait—if Trunks is _here_ , then who's—' Harry rounded on Future Trunks.

'Hold on!' Syaoran shouted from his spot on the ground, his voice husky with shallow breathing. 'Has anyone seen Yue?'

Sakura looked suddenly frantic as she gaped around at the three. That's right _. Yue wasn't among them._ She felt a horrible, sinking feeling.

'What? Wasn't he with you?' Chibi Moon asked, looking as bewildered as Sakura.

'He went ahead to find you. He was going to warn you about…OH SH—' Ron was taken off-guard by yet another blast thrown their way. The residual gust knocked them backwards, cutting them off their feet once more and sending Diana careening like tumbleweed.

The effect of the impact was lessened by the durability of the sentai suits, but Sakura still felt a bout of vertigo as she and the others hoisted themselves up. She strained to see with horror as Cell extended one arm, drawing the other back. A glowing bow and arrow formed in his hands as he shot one in their direction. Harry, Ron and the formerly dumbstruck Draco bounded forward, throwing up their wands to form deflective barriers. Most of the shining arrow energy flitted off into nothingness, but some of its sparks still managed to break through, striking Ron, Syaoran and Meiling with minimal damage.

'No way! It penetrated it,' Harry gasped.

Sakura gaped in silence. That was Yue's attack. She could sense a hint of Yue's aura in that solid beam of energy, and in Cell's control it was even more powerful. Then she stared back at Cell and realised those eyes...were _Yue's_ eyes.

Sakura's staff became limp in her gloved hand.

Cerberos. Yue.

Both had been absorbed by this horrible creature, along with the entire town. She felt something of a fever overcome her. She shut her eyes and collapsed.

* * *

Five minutes passed and in that short time Syaoran remained out of commission, drifting in and out of consciousness, while Sakura who had at last recovered from her own fainting spell, carefully removed his helmet and used charms to stop the bleeding. Meiling remained at their side while Chibi Moon, Harry, Ron and Draco looked on helplessly. Future Trunks stood before them.

'We're finished,' Draco moaned, fiddling edgily with his wand.

'Especially with _dead-weight_ like you lingering about,' Harry grumbled.

Chibi Moon glanced tensely at Future Trunks.

'You _are_ going to fight, aren't you?' she asked.

He glanced at her contemplatively. He suddenly looked away. Chibi Moon blinked. Was that a _blush_ she had seen on his face? Unthinkingly, she felt a tinge of warmth form on her own. Returning his sword to his holster, a stoic Future Trunks started determinedly towards Cell. At last he was going to join in, perhaps realising too that his sword was worthless against such an incredible enemy.

Suddenly, there came the familiar popping sound of a winding vortex.

The fighters turned their heads brusquely, gazing with hope, eyes shining with determination. It must have been their hero—their ally from the other world. The Phoenix Fighters had described to Goten the odd occurrence, as allies were pulled from different times and worlds to provide assistance to them – but often, the heroes offered varying degrees of helpfulness. Feeling so dismayed, terrorized and defeated, never before had they so looked forward to this mystery person from beyond the stars. Who could it be, Goten thought. Perhaps Vegeta? Better yet—Son Goku himself! _At last_ —they would be saved!

A shadowy figure marched valiantly forward, and dust and smoke gradually cleared around them. He came into view. His cape swayed in the wind as his head stood upright and stared boldly ahead. He struck a saluted hand to the sky and smiled with the spirit of a glorious crusader. The Phoenix Fighters looked on with intrigue and uncertainty. Goten's and Trunks' jaws plummeted to the ground.

'BEHOLD! I AM…' The hero crossed his arms over his face, twirled, and then brought his hands to his hips, '…THE GREAT SAIYAMAN! '

Goten leaned over to Trunks in exasperation. 'Oh my gosh…was he _always_ this embarrassing?'

Trunks sighed, folding his arms. 'I tried to tell you, Goten.'

This was the incredibly nerdy, teenage version of Goten's older brother, Gohan, in disguise. At seven years old the "Great Saiyaman" was cool to Goten, although Trunks had always begged to differ.

The Great Saiyaman continued his speech. '…Righter of Wrongs, Champion of Justice...'

Diana glanced at Chibi Moon. 'You know this seems vaguely familiar. Almost nostalgic.'

Chibi Moon nodded as their thoughts harkened back to a masked, top-hatted crusader with an affinity for roses.

'...Protector of Peace, Defender of Innocents, Lover of—'

'We get the point, you know!' shouted Ron.

The Great Saiyaman looked slightly taken aback by Ron's outburst. 'Well. That was rude. I wasn't finished. Now where was I? Oh, Yes…' He adjusted the black tinted lenses on his nose bridge, allowing it to reflect the light. 'I will show you, evildoer! Prepare to be eliminated!'

Saiyaman ended his line with a single pointed finger, sweeping it across the air until it landed on the tall, green villain.

Cell snorted with laughter. 'What's this? Another victim?'

Saiyaman's eyes weren't visible, but his dark eyebrows shot up and his body became rigid as though belted by an electric jolt. He yelped a strident "YEEEE!" and recoiled behind his cape.

'Oh no— _Cell?_ Nope, no way—I _can't_ do that again,' he stammered, his sunglasses sinking down his nose revealing his eyes.

'Gohan, what the hell?' the fully masked Goten shouted out, clearly incensed.

Saiyaman flinched, eyes shifting uncomfortably. He adjusted his shades, brought a hand to his mouth, coughing into it as though clearing something from his throat and responding in a deep voice that was clearly put on.

'H-Hey! I'm not Gohan. I am the _Great Saiyaman_.'

Overhearing this, Future Trunks glared. 'Wait? You're Gohan? The Gohan I know wouldn't be such a coward!'

Saiyaman sighed. 'Ah, yeah, but…this costume is rather costly. And my anxiety with this guy is—'

'BLOODY IDIOT!' Harry seethed, rather uncharacteristically. 'What are you doing here then if you won't fight it?'

Cell frowned. 'It's rather impolite to continue addressing me as an "it".'

Trunks groaned angrily. Of all the versions of Gohan the universe could have sent…it had to be _this_ version. He glimpsed wearily at Goten. 'Well, we might be no match for it. But _Gotenks_ could take Cell down easily.'

Goten sighed. 'It's been a while, huh?'

'We have no choice, buddy.'

'Alright…for you, buddy.'

' _FU_ … _SION_ -'

They stood beside each other and mirrored each other's moves, a dance of precise steps and strong arm movements.

'—HA!'

When their index fingers touched, there was a great explosion, smoke sent in all directions. When the smoke cleared a man appeared, an almost balanced fusion of both Trunks and Goten's features. But something was not quite right about his appearance, as though someone had tried jamming the wrong puzzle pieces together. The man stepped forward with a smirk but seemed to trip and collapsed onto his face.

Everyone waited for a tense moment for him to stand.

But he did not move.

'Blimey!' Ron gasped.

'So they combined to transform into someone weird and useless?' Harry griped, throwing his hands up in the air in defeat.

'You know what that is?' Ron said, as though something dawned on him. 'It's the curse of being fancied by Meiling.'

Fortunately Meiling was out of earshot. Draco wasn't on the other hand. He simply offered a snort in response.

There was a sudden shooting noise. Future Trunks stepped forward, now Super Saiyajin. The Fighters gasped audibility, amazed by the vast difference between this long-haired version and the other Trunks' Super Saiyajin form. Future Trunks looked like a god that walked the earth, his gold hair raised in peaks, like a great golden crown, on his head.

Cell sneered. 'Another one of these Super Saiyajins? But my, you do look vaguely familiar.'

Future Trunks snarled, 'I don't think we've met. But allow me to introduce myself — as your _executioner_.'

'Oh that's a good one! I should borrow that sometime,' Cell retorted.

'THERE WON'T BE ANOTHER TIME!' With a roar, Future Trunks charged, and both of them shot into the air like twin canons exploding, determinedly throwing attack after attack. However, it seemed as though Cell knew exactly what Future Trunks was going to do, every move quickly outdone by a calculated counter-strike.

' _BURNING ATTACK_!' Trunks hollered, a fiery blast spilling out from his outstretched hands.

Cell held out his arms in a similar manner, returning an identical attack. Future Trunks' cry resonated as he somersaulted in mid-air, catching himself seconds before crashing.

'Fool! Haven't you figured it out?' Cell boomed. 'In my realm I had attained the DNA and data of your parallel self, as well as all the others—including those, er... _that..._ ' He then directed a shrewd glance at Gotenks. By now, the hapless Gotenks was sitting quietly to himself, smirking as he dribbled and gaped at nothing.

Future Trunks was flabbergasted. 'You absorbed everyone? But how—?'

'I didn't even need to absorb them all. You see, a strange thing happened. In my dimension, an artificial human, Android X, was supposed to appear in this dimension instead of me. That android was specially created by Dr. Gero to collect data on the Phoenix Fighters. Incidentally, the unit was already powerful as it contained the data of all the Z Fighters, including the young Trunks and Goten. But of course—when I got wind of all the _beautiful_ _energy_ in store, I couldn't resist but absorb X and come here instead.'

Future Trunks frowned deeply, eyes wide as he stared madly with realisation, 'So that's why you knew all our movements. It makes sense now...'

The Phoenix Fighters listened on anxiously, exchanging mortified looks and whispers. They could tell from the look on Future Trunks' face that this news wasn't good news.

'Enough of this,' Cell said, his sinister, ice-blue eyes flashing. 'I'm growing painfully bored of our little back and forth. I suggest we make this a little more interesting.'

Draco's voice cracked as he rasped, 'W-What does he mean by that?'

Cell directed a look at Draco, smiling evilly. Draco flinched, stunned that Cell had heard him.

'Let's play a little game.'

Cell stepped leisurely forward, with every footstep his body made a creaking sound like an old machine with gears in need of oiling. He passed an eye over them all. 'I can so easily kill all of you at once. But _individually_ would be much more fun.'

'No! No Tournaments or Cell Games!' Future Trunks shouted frantically. 'We're not fighting individually—I am fighting you— _me_ and me _alone_.'

Cell sneered, 'You're in no position to decide anything, Trunks. However, a tournament wasn't what I had in mind. I couldn't help but notice how everyone else is just standing around so pitifully with nothing to do. We can't be selfish, Trunks, keeping all the fun to ourselves, can we?'

Ron's body was visibly trembling. 'This git's really got me on edge here, mate!'

Harry muttered through clenched teeth, his voice a muffled echo behind his helmet, 'Ron, calm down. Now is not the time to lose it.' More than ever, Hermione's absence was felt. She was skilled at keeping Ron calm. But Harry didn't mean it just for Ron, but also himself. He was deathly afraid; this villain was Voldemort on _steroids_.

Cell stroked his chin as though in thought. His eyes lit up and with a smile he announced, 'The game is… _battle royale_.'

Sakura's voice was strangled. 'A multi-person free-for-all … fight to the death?'

Cell grinned. 'The Card Mistress is correct. Except _I_ will be _everyone's_ contender!'

Future Trunks gasped. 'That can only mean— _No!'_

Cell let out a dreadful howl. The pointed end of what was once his tail expanded, and out from it excreted nine beings, all miniature and bright blue junior replicas of Cell. The Cell juniors emitted hearty, shrill laughs, chilling as their sound carried through the wind.

Meiling screamed. Sakura felt the tears swarm her eyes. She clutched Syaoran who's head was rested on her lap. After wrestling with her conscience, she patted him affectionately on the cheek, then used the Flower card to create a soft cushion for him to rest his head. Sighing despondently she got to her feet once more.

'This is bloody insanity…he just shat out more of himself!' Draco uttered, stepping back, wand pointed shakily towards the Cell juniors that peered over at the group wickedly.

'Malfoy's called it! Took the words straight out of my mouth!' Ron exclaimed.

Future Trunks spun around. 'Everyone be on guard! They might look like this but they're strong!'

The Phoenix Fighters did just that. Sakura summoned both the Power and Fight cards. The wizards aimed their wands. Chibiusa shakily held out her heart wand as Meiling threw up her hands to fight.

'What? How the hell are we supposed to—I mean—' Draco stepped back in terror, glimpsing tensely at the others.

Oddly enough, his eyes fell on Meiling. She glanced back at him and for a split second, though their eyes were faint behind their tinted visors, something passed between them.

'Why not use those Exploding Charms you love so much?' Meiling suggested, oddly casual but with some sense of urgency.

Draco's jaw slackened. He gave a weak nod, turning his head slowly to refocus on the Cell juniors. The other teens seemed to overhear, observing as Draco purposefully threw up his wand. He looked poised and ready as sunlight reflected blindingly against his silver suit.

The Cell juniors lunged out like a swarm of locusts, pairing off with each of the Phoenix Fighters and their allies, fighting with might. Meanwhile, Future Trunks continued in vain his lone battle with the original Cell.

 _'REDUCTO!'_

Three voices rang out, one after another, as Draco, and then Ron and Harry in kind cast their curses from varying angles. They struck several of the Cells, managing to explode only one, but continuously stunning the others for brief moments at a time.

' _SHOT_!' cried Sakura, allowing her card's lightening-fast spirit to attack their juniors while she fought her own with Power and Fight.

'They're too fast!' Ron moaned, ducking just as one recovered and sailed towards him with a swinging kick.

'Bloody wish I had my broom,' Harry grumbled.

'They also seem able to regenerate!' said Meiling, whose own energy blasts between punches proved to be only slightly useful as a distraction.

At last, the Great Saiyaman had removed his glasses and headscarf and thrown off his cape. He joined in the battle as well.

'SAILOR CHIBI MOON!' Diana cried hysterically.

Chibi Moon screamed as she used the end of her staff to absorb several bullet-fast punches from a Cell junior. The hideous creature cackled gleefully as she continued to block its assaults. She screamed as she was flung back by a particularly strong punch, smacking hard onto her back. Muttering to herself that she should have kept on Tomoyo's costume, she opened her eyes to see about three Cell juniors advancing towards her. Chibi Moon gasped and cast a hot pink beam of magic from her wand, which slammed into the Cell Juniors with a strong force. However, not held off by pain, their slightly melted forms cackled mercilessly and they lunged at her.

She instinctively raised her wand to block their attacks, but was blinded temporarily by a blast of energy. When her vision cleared she saw that the three Cell juniors had been incinerated. She turned to gaze blearily in the distance. She saw the blue-suited Trunks and further to his side the yellow-suited Goten, as they were before they had fused together. They had returned to normal.

Trunks' hand came to his head in a salute. 'You can thank me for saving you again later.' He turned on the heel of his boots and joined in the fight against the remaining juniors. Chibi Moon took a moment to recollect her thoughts and returned to the fight with a sudden surge of determination.

Goten looked about, noticing Syaoran's unconscious body. 'Hey! What about that guy?'

Trunks hastily threw a glance over his shoulder. 'Oh…right.'

'I know!' Goten said brightly as he darted over. He reached into his utility belt and pulled out a single bean that he shoved into Syaoran's mouth. 'Here, eat this. _Senzu_. It'll heal you right up.' He then lifted Syaoran's helmet that lay beside him, and pulled it back onto his head. 'Oh and you'll need this.'

Miraculously, Syaoran's head raised. In no time, he was up and on his feet, his voice betraying a grin. 'Thanks, brother!'

Goten gave a thumbs up and a sharp nod before running off.

Now, Syaoran was in on the fray and he and Meiling were in hand-to-hand combat, two-to-one with one of now five Cell juniors.

'Syaoran!' Sakura exclaimed happily as she caught a glimpse of his green suit.

'No, no, no!' Cell snapped, angrily knocking Future Trunks out of the way as though he were a housefly. 'This isn't right! There can't be more of you now!'

'IT'S BATTLE ROYALE! FIGHT TO THE DEATH—YOURS! NOW YOUR LITTLE FRIENDS ARE DONE!' Syaoran declared as he pulled out his enchanted papers, talismans. ' _RAITEI SHOURAI!'_ The lightning attack struck at three Cell juniors, stunning them as Trunks and Goten knocked them into submission. Meanwhile Gohan held off the remaining two.

Cell churned out another six Cell juniors. As the second wave issued forth, Meiling flew into the air and Syaoran unleashed a wind element spell to levitate away. By now, Sakura had summoned Fly and Dash as well, and was growing fatigued with so many cards in use at once.

Cell emitted another mocking laugh. 'Amusing. Now this is what I call "entertainment". Oh, Trunks? What were you saying about there being "no next time" or some _execution_ or something?'

Wiping a smudge of blood from his face, Future Trunks brought his arms into fists. With veins and muscles bulging, he hollered in frustration. His aura surged but it didn't make a single difference. It was only a fit of rage.

Goten glanced at Trunks, between dodging a junior's attacks. 'Trunks! That guy is basically you! What's he thinking?'

'I don't know what he's thinking but I know what _I'm_ thinking! Cell's only using us for his enjoyment.' Trunks frowned, hitting at his own Cell spawn opponents. 'It's hopeless! We can't win like this!'

Goten swore bitterly as the Cell junior directed a painful jab to his cheek. 'Ugh! Why is Gohan so useless? Didn't he _defeat_ Cell back then?'

As though in response to Goten's frustrated query, they again heard the popping sound of a winding vortex, indicating that another hero was emerging. Dreading yet another, weaker manifestation of his brother, or his sister-in-law, Videl (also know as Saiyaman 2), Goten could only yell in excitement as Goku and Vegeta stepped out of the portal and onto the ground. Goku looked around curiously as Vegeta glared, his arms folded tightly to his chest.

The Phoenix Fighters only glanced briefly to regard the two unfamiliar men, but were otherwise occupied in battle.

Cell placed a hand on his hip and smirked. 'So, now the _real_ fun begins.'

' _Finally!'_ Goten cried, shaking Trunks' shoulder as he punched a Cell junior square in the face. The impish creature squawked and jumped back.

' _Yes!_ Finally, it's my dad!' Trunks exclaimed in agreement, kicking another Cell junior away.

Future Trunks soared to the ground, no longer in Super Saiyajin form, and landed beside Trunks and Goten. 'Oh no,' he muttered, looking worried, 'it's Dad.'

Trunks stared at him confusedly. 'Why that attitude?'

Future Trunks turned to regard him, brow furrowed. 'Our _dad_ is going to let Cell win.'

'No way!' Trunks said.

'This version of Vegeta may not be the father you know. You are familiar with his past, no?'

Trunks grimaced. 'Yeah, but…'

Future Trunks nodded grimly and jut his chin towards where Goku and Vegeta stood. Cell was walking towards them. 'Just watch.'

'Step out of the way, Kakarot,' Vegeta sneered at his companion, who blinked owlishly in response. Vegeta smirked as he matched Cell's stride until he stood staring into the face of the muscled, green creature. 'This one's mine.'

'You'd be wrong then,' Trunks snapped at Future Trunks

Vegeta and Cell looked like shooting stars as they collided rapidly, meeting one another with mirrored strikes in mid-air. Goku watched their movements with a trained eye, his face set in a frown.

'See, now that's _my_ dad,' Trunks said, folding his arms smugly.

Cell spun like a top and landed on the ground, breathing heavily. 'No…he is too fast…'

Vegeta landed several feet before him, also struggling for breath. 'Are you ready to surrender, creature? You are clearly no match for me!'

Cell glared at Vegeta as he clutched his side. 'You…would be right…'

'Vegeta, he's bluffing!' Goku yelled, seeming to notice that Cell couldn't have been hurt so easily and must have been masking his true power.

Vegeta grinned wickedly and turned to regard Goku smugly. 'Shut up, Kakarot! You're obviously just jealous—'

Cell rushed forward and slammed his fist into Vegeta's diaphragm. Vegeta let out a choking sound and collapsed onto the ground, rasping as he struggled for air. Cell then followed up with a blast that rendered Vegeta immobile in a smouldering cavern of crumbling cement.

'DAD!' Trunks cried and tried to advance, but Goten held him back.

 _'DAD?!'_ Meiling, Draco and Chibi Moon gasped in unison.

'What did I say? He let him win,' Future Trunks muttered with a sigh.

Goku shook his head in annoyance and stepped forward. 'Alright, I guess it's my turn.'

'Woo! That's _my_ dad!' Goten clapped his hands eagerly.

Cell raised a hand. 'Return my children,' Cell commanded, allowing the remaining Cell juniors to flit over to his side.

Not hesitating for a second longer, Goku launched a gigantic wave of ki, incinerating the last of the Cell juniors. He turned expectantly to Cell.

'You finished them all off at once?' Cell turned to narrow his eyes at Goku, who cracked his knuckles. 'You're more on my level than the others. At last…my amusement will be satiated…'

Goku and Cell accelerated into the sky and began an assault. Goku appeared to be more of a competent fighter than Vegeta, but they could not be sure from their position on the ground. They could, however, tell that where Vegeta had no issue with fighting close to the ground, Goku attempted to contain the battle in the air, away from the others. This was a consideration they observed from him rather than Vegeta.

Trunks rushed, sliding through gravel and uneven concrete to regard his passed out father. This Vegeta was definitely not the father he knew. His father was pompous, sure, but he wouldn't risk the lives of everyone here for a matter of pride. It made him ponder about how greatly one could change. But then he felt a pang of dismay; his father had been beaten so easily for the sake of _pride_.

* * *

Goten made perpetual loud gasping sounds as he watched his own father battle Cell in mid-air. At this rate, most of them were certain that Cell was close to being defeated.

'He can't destroy him yet,' Syaoran said as the group came together to watch Goku and Cell fight above them.

Sakura nodded solemnly. 'If he dies, we will lose Kero and Yue…and Yukito, forever,' she whispered, tears springing once more in her eyes. 'What would my brother do?'

'We need a new idea,' Future Trunks said. He looked around at them speculatively. 'I've seen the magic you all cast. Is there some sort of reverse spell?'

'You mean, like regurgitation?' Meiling asked. She looked thoughtful for a moment and shared a nod with Draco. She turned to the wizards of their group with a confident smile. 'Why not make Cell throw up?'

Harry and Ron raised their eyebrows as it dawned on them: they could use _Vomitare Viridis_. Turning to point their wands into the sky, it took several adjustments of their wands to follow Cell's rapid movement as they all cried, ' _VOMITARE VIRIDIS!'_

Cell was struck by a beam of green light and seemed to freeze in mid-air, like a fly stuck to flypaper. Goku delivered a powerful punch to the stomach, making Cell arch back in pain. They observed with a mixture of fascination and disgust as Cell's eyes bulged and his mouth widened, like a viper's extendible jaws. His stomach swelled and then shrunk as his mouth expelled Cerberos, and then Yue. Sakura's Guardians collapsed onto the ground, their wings tattered and their forms covered in a thick film.

Sakura cried out in relief and threw up her staff, calling on the Light card. The Light soared forth and coated Sakura's Guardians in healing warmth. They started to stir.

Goku landed beside the collapsed Vegeta and raised his arms. 'He's not easily weakened,' he said observantly, wiping sweat from his brow.

'Oh! I know!' Gohan exclaimed. 'Use the Spirit Bomb!'

Goku looked curiously at him then snapped his fingers. 'Oh yeah! That's an awesome idea!'

Goten shook his head silently, grateful for his tinted helmet that hid his embarrassment.

Trunks felt a gentle tingle disperse through his body, gentle caresses along his aura.

'Everyone, lend your energy to Goku,' Gohan exclaimed. He exchanged a furtive nod with Trunks, Future Trunks and Goten. He turned to Syaoran. 'You and the others distract Cell while Goku gathers energy.'

Syaoran nodded sharply and summoned lightning towards Cell, while Harry, Ron and Draco cast offensive spells. Meiling threw several ki blasts, and Chibi Moon shot a beam of pink light from her wand. Although Cell was still struggling with the recent expulsion of Cerberos and Yue, having degenerated into his previous reptilian state, he still seemed ready to fight, writhing and moving shakily around their attacks. There was also the added risk on their minds that he might try to absorb someone again.

Trunks, Future Trunks, Goten and Gohan pushed their energy towards the space between Goku's open palms. Just as Cell had recovered and was livid for revenge, Goku yelled and he released a great energy ball – like a blazing, shimmering sun - towards Cell. The creature known as Cell bellowed gutturally as he was engulfed by the raw energy, a cataclysm of light and fire, and was obliterated. The impact of the energy ball sent everyone off their feet and flying several metres back.

The games, it seemed, were finally over.


	4. Dreams, Schemes and Ice-cream

**Chapter 4: Dreams, Schemes and Ice-cream**

The static and dust in the air gradually dissipated, and then all was still. The Phoenix Fighters slowly removed their helmets and breathed deeply of the cool afternoon air. Given pause, they had time to consider their surroundings. Dirt and grass debris were scattered everywhere, framing the gaping holes caused by redirected energy blasts. It seemed disrespectful to leave the place, which stood as a memorial for the town's fallen residents, in disarray. Solemnly, Harry and the others used their wands to move the dirt and grass to fill the holes, and those among the group with substantial strength neatly piled the remaining debris to the side of the field. When these tasks were complete, the group were wary of authorities swarming the area, and so migrated to the other side of town and destroyed Cell's vessel.

Now the group walked down the town's main road and turned to stare back over the town, a latticed landscape of picturesque houses that perhaps would not be inhabited for some time, if at all.

Harry closed his eyes and listened, only hearing the breeze and feeling the gentle warmth of the sun as it peaked through clouds above. Silence. He opened his eyes again and looked to regard them all. Sakura clutched at Yue's arm and had Kero nestled under her chin; she had almost lost her Guardians. Syaoran was supported by Ron and Meiling, while Sailor Chibi Moon, Diana, Draco, Trunks and Goten looked battered but unbroken. Future Trunks, Gohan, Goku and Vegeta lumbered further behind. He realised then that he was grateful for their lives; he was monumentally thankful that Tomoyo and Hermione had not been with them that day.

Harry quirked his eyebrows when he noticed that Trunks broke away from the group and hovered around Future Trunks, eyeing his hair.

'How long did it take to grow this?' Trunks muttered, pulling at Future Trunks' ponytail.

Future Trunks looked startled but didn't shy away as Trunks continued to prod and poke his hair, face and armour. Harry felt odd, but his lips quirked into an amused grin. For whatever reason, they needed humour. It seemed the only way to stay sane.

* * *

Trunks returned to Goten' side, his chest swelling with pride. 'I'm actually _really_ good-looking!'

Goten rolled his eyes, his arms folded. 'Ha, good-looking? Well, seems Chibiusa thinks so, too.'

Trunks peered over at her; she seemed to stare wordlessly at Future Trunks, her face, though covered in dirt, glowed with an admiring smile. He frowned. She never looked at _him_ like that. Or at least she didn't look at him like that, _sober_. Trunks barked. 'Hey—what gives? We're basically the same person!'

Goten shrugged, his arms resting behind his head. 'Hmm…I'm starting to think _he_ might actually be cooler than you, Trunks.'

Trunks huffed and angrily folded his arms. This Future clone had some nerve!

'Ugh, who does this guy think he is? And what's with the ponytail? I would never wear my hair like _that_. Not practical at all, just gets in the way.'

Future Trunks, who probably hadn't heard, walked over. Trunks backed up a bit; he had been surprised that Future Trunks had not admonished him when Trunks had feverishly pulled his hair.

'Hey, just wanted to say that you turned out great,' Future Trunks beamed. 'Last time I saw you, you were a baby. You pulled my hair then, too.'

Trunks just stared at him. They had met before?

At that moment, Vegeta ambled over to them and stared, wide-eyed, at Trunks and then Future Trunks. 'Trunks? _Two of you?_ But this is impossible!'

Trunks lifted his shoulders. 'Hi Dad, you know how Mother was working on that time travel machine…'

'But that was just an idea, a concept, like all of her other stupid ideas,' Vegeta spluttered, his face turning red. 'What is the meaning of this? Did that deranged woman _clone my son?!_ '

A gentle 'pop' sound distracted the group. A swirling vortex appeared several feet before them. Goku walked over and grasped Vegeta by the shoulder. 'Come on, old man, it's time to head back.'

Vegeta looked over at him. 'But-But—'

Gohan rushed over to stand beside his father. 'I think I need a bit more practice.'

Goku chuckled and cuffed his son on the chin. 'We'll get right on it as soon as we get home.'

'I'm a real fan of your work!' Goten hollered and waved at them.

Goku made a peace sign with his hand and stewarded an irate Vegeta and an eager Gohan towards the vortex. The three turned to regard the Phoenix Fighters once more before the vortex closed.

'That…is your father?' Chibiusa queried, walking over to stand beside Future Trunks.

Trunks noted that she had returned to wearing her skin-tight spandex costume. She hastily pulled off the helmet, her hair tumbling out to hang in glossy loose spirals down her back. Trunks felt a jolt of jealousy at the reaction of his future self; Future Trunks glanced at Chibusa up and down and blushed deeply.

'Y-Yeah…that's my old man.'

Chibiusa giggled and placed a hand over her mouth. 'Oh, I don't believe it. He's so _scary,_ and you're so…'

Trunks ambled over and nudged Future Trunks in the arm. 'So, I guess you have to be on your way to your own time, now.'

Future Trunks looked away from Chibiusa and towards him, appearing confused. 'Oh! Uh, yeah, you're right.'

'I know how our mother is. So you don't want to be away too long,' Trunks said convincingly. 'You might make people worry.'

'Oh, you have to go so soon?' Chibiusa asked. 'I was really keen on talking more about time travel.'

Future Trunks looked back at her and stared, as though daydreaming. He then shook his head roughly and turned deliberately away from her, breathing sharply through his nose as though he fought something internally.

The others walked over to him, signalled by his sudden movement.

'Well, it's like Trunks was saying,' Future Trunks said, grinning slightly, 'I guess our mother's the same no matter the dimension. I need to return.' He nodded at them all. 'It was nice to meet you all.' He turned finally and grasped Trunks' shoulders, giving them an affectionate squeeze. 'I'm really glad you have all of these friends around you. You'll never be alone.' Something broke in his voice as he finished and turned to leave.

Sakura exchanged furtive glances with Meiling and Chibiusa. The three girls nodded and in unison stepped forward to embrace Future Trunks.

'There would have been no hope had you not been here,' Sakura said softly. 'You helped save Kero and Yue.'

'We thank you, so much,' Meiling whispered.

'You'll always have friends,' Chibiusa finished as the three of them pulled away.

Trunks made to roll his eyes but was yanked forward by Goten as everyone (save for Yue, Kero, Diana, Syaoran and Draco) went in for a group hug. Trunks resisted at first, but when he felt Chibiusa's hand grazing his shoulder, he leaned into the embrace. He met Future Trunks' eyes and they smiled sadly at each other. This Trunks, wherever he had come from, had few friends it seemed. He felt a gentle ache in his chest.

* * *

The group sat around the living room eating ice-cream that Hermione and Tomoyo had bought once they had seen their friends' dishevelled states. Sweets seemed to calm their nerves following the fight against Cell.

Chibiusa had been afraid during the battle, momentarily frozen as she was reminded again of the time that she had been a young and helpless child, watching from afar as others took the helm of responsibility. She had watched fervently as Future Trunks fought Cell with deep passion, which was inspiring. It seemed that she needed continual reminders, that she was still weak. This partly stemmed from the hole in her heart, left by the absence of her love, Elios. She was still plagued by the hurt and confusion that his abandonment had caused. But when she watched Future Trunks fight, she knew that she couldn't expect him, or anyone, to save her. She had to save herself. She decided that she would retreat to the training room – as soon as she was finished with this quart of strawberry ice-cream.

'So Chiba,' Goten said. Chibiusa looked up at him with raised eyebrows. He spooned some mango gelato into his mouth and leaned towards her. 'Would you say you and Trunks are friends?'

Chibiusa lowered the spoon from her mouth and paused. She looked at Trunks. He spoke quietly with Draco, gesturing slightly with one hand, his ice-cream cone dripping in the other. She had noticed the animated gestures of their housemate Trunks, and how they contrasted to Future Trunks' own reserved movements. He glanced at her and smiled, the dimple in his left cheek puckering, accentuated by the light of the living room lamp. It was a cute feature… _Wait!_

Distractedly she turned back to Goten, who awaited her response with a smirk.

'Oh,' she mumbled, her mouth full as she, spooned more ice cream into her mouth to appear casual . 'Well, I guess we're all in a "group" of "friends"?' She glanced over at Trunks. His mouth seemed to turn downward in what looked like disappointment.

Hold on.

 _Disappointment?_

Goten seemed to appreciate her response and winked over at Trunks.

Agitated, she turned to listen in on others' conversations.

'You know, 'Mione,' said Ron in a joking manner, 'that Cell freak had a face only a mother could love. Or _Hagrid_.'

Against her better judgement, Hermione brought a hand to her face, smiling slightly. 'I don't think it's really appropriate to joke…'

Harry growled, 'You're all jokes now, but we were losing our heads out there!'

Chibiusa felt a sick sense of amusement, seeing Harry wave his plastic ice-cream spoon angrily as though it were a sword. Tomoyo lay a comforting hand on his arm, which seemed to calm him slightly, though he still glared at Ron as he begrudgingly ate more ice-cream.

'I just can't believe that Muggles created such a creature as Cell,' Ron murmured. He then turned his face away from Harry and eyed Trunks and Goten. 'So guys, what's with this Fusion thing? It didn't seem like a very useful tactic – but I'm admittedly curious.'

'Oh, the Fusion is an ancient martial arts technique used to combine two bodies and minds, in order to gain an advantage in battle. It usually lasts for about 30 minutes. It is an effective approach, but…' Goten stuck his tongue out. 'Well, we haven't done it for a few years, and so we missed a few steps.'

Chibiusa just finished her ice cream and crossed her legs, leaning forward to listen.

'Whoa, so this is a common Muggle thing in your world?' Ron exclaimed, transfixed.

'Just for the record, it's not something that happens in our world,' Meiling added.

'Well, only a few _talented people_ can actually do it at all,' Trunks continued for Goten, glancing at Chibiusa briefly.

Chibiusa inclined her head. Her mind puzzled over the many possible configurations of a merged being involving each of the Phoenix Fighters. She wondered first what Ron and Harry would look like, Sakura and Meiling, Syaoran and Draco….but what if a man and a woman Fused together? What if she and Trunks Fused together?!

'So, not you then,' Chibiusa said glibly, then shut her mouth with a click. She saw the hurt look in Trunks' eyes. She had not meant to say it. She felt a pang of guilt. The others turned to stare.

She self-consciously rubbed her face and stood up. 'I'm not feeling well. I'm going to lie down.'

She felt the burning of twelve pairs of eyes on her back as she retreated not to her room, but to the training room. Once in there she transformed into Sailor Chibi Moon and started to train.

* * *

Meiling watched Chibiusa leave with concern. The girl had been staring at Trunks continuously since they had made their way from the deserted town and home. Then she had spoken rudely to him. Something was amiss. She had just finished her cone and rose to follow Chibiusa when she felt a hand slide to rest around her wrist. She rotated to see Draco's gentle expression.

'Meiling,' Draco said quietly. 'Can we speak for a moment?'

She looked up to regard the others; they were immersed in conversation about Hermione's current research on Karasu. It was an important discussion, but she looked again at Draco's earnest expression. She figured this had to be important, so with a sigh, she simply followed him out into the garden. He took a deep breath.

'Thank you for helping me back there,' he said as he consciously rubbed the back of his arm. He pressed his lips together, and as though fighting something down inside, he raised his head and met her eyes with a slight smile. 'I couldn't think straight…I was really nervous. But then you called out to me, and then I was alright.'

Meiling inclined her head and stared down at her feet, slowly processing what he had said. Draco, this beautiful yet obnoxious man-child, had _thanked her._ She curled her toes thoughtfully in her socks and raised her head. She felt a sway of affection towards him when she saw that his smile remained, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

'You're really special,' he said, nodding once. 'Never doubt that.'

She stared at him for a moment. Her heart hadn't beat this fast since they had first kissed. There was the deep voice of reprimand in the back of her mind; she had promised to herself that she wouldn't let him have power over her. She deserved better. But then she thought back to the time when the Phoenix Fighters first came together; they had all changed in some way. She herself had changed, maturing in not only in her physical, but also emotional, strength. How could she disregard the concept that Draco might also have changed, or had the capacity to change?

Once the thought crossed her mind, she nodded back at him, smiling slightly. 'Thanks yourself.'

He seemed pleased by her response, but didn't say anymore, as if that exchange was all he needed for now. They walked back inside in silence. Meiling felt her footsteps were a little lighter.

She stood in the kitchen and realised that she had intended to speak to Chibiusa. She manoeuvred around the living room and headed towards the training room.

* * *

'I did notice Cell said something about wanting energy, and he came to _this_ dimension for it,' Ron muttered, scratching the back of his head.

'Did you catch that other information?' Syaoran asked, an arm around Sakura's shoulders. 'Cell mentioned something about another machine that supposedly was built to collect data on us.'

Harry nodded. 'I bet Karasu had ordered Dr. Gero to build it. Unfortunately for them, that plan failed. Unfortunately for us, we got that freak-show instead.' He took Tomoyo's hand and squeezed it. 'What did you and Hermione get up to while we were away?'

'Well, we did some more research,' Tomoyo replied. 'It involves the patient, Renona.' She inclined her head towards Hermione.

Hermione retrieved a notepad that bore her neat, looping writing. 'Now this is really interesting. We found that Renona wasn't, or isn't, Muggle. She has powerful witches and wizard in her family lineage.'

'Not only that,' Tomoyo joined in, 'but many years ago, Renona moved over here from _London_. She's also quite old, in her mid-60s. She may have attended Hogwarts.'

This piqued everyone's interest.

'Wow,well done, Hermione and Tomoyo,' Syaoran breathed, grinning broadly.

Hermione shook her head tiredly. 'It's definitely a start. Just before you returned, we sent an Owl to Ginny. See if she can do some sleuthing for us.'

The others absorbed this information thoughtfully. 'Great idea,' Sakura said. 'I hope Ginny and the others are doing ok.'

They all looked at each other uneasily in silence.

* * *

Meiling pushed the training room door open and slipped inside. She watched for several minutes as Chibiusa, in her senshi form, somersaulted in the middle of the room and pushed off from the wall, casting a stream of pink magic against their magical punching bag, which had recently been modified with legs to jump and dodge. Chibiusa then jumped off from the ground and flipped backward and landed on her boots, breathing heavily. She had only just noticed Meiling, and acknowledged her with a curt nod. Meiling saw the sweat glistening on Chibiusa's brow, and then paid attention to the shine of tears in the other girl's eyes. Meiling knew that look as bright as day, there was pain about a boy, perhaps the Pegasus – that Meiling suspected was much more than a friend – and perhaps even about Chibiusa's underlying attraction to Trunks. Meiling could understand that it would be very confusing.

Meiling gestured to the punching bag and Chibiusa nodded again. Meiling walked over and assumed a sparring position. Together the two girls mirrored one another through several sessions of punches and kicks. They then switched to a routine of repelling one another's energy and magic blasts. Meiling's white ki and Chibiusa's moon magic pushed against one another, shattering into a cascade of winking lights. Once completed for the evening, they agreed to train for at least four hours each night as long as it took until they could feel fully restore confidence in themselves again. Done sparring for the evening, the two girls looked over towards the open door and saw Diana and Kero seated on the ground beside each other, an interesting sight as the two guardians seemed quite friendly.

* * *

That evening as Trunks and Goten lay on their futons, Trunks stared into the dark and sighed. 'You know, I suppose I wasn't acting the most appropriately today.'

Goten made a 'hmm' sound in response.

'But I guess I was just in shock. It was scary that we weren't strong enough to fight Cell. We had to rely on a handout from our mysterious hooded figure who keeps sending us "heroes". Without Goku, we'd have become Cell's twelve-course meal.'

'You're right,' Goten replied dully. 'We were helpless. It's been a long time since we've ever been in that position. I almost forgot what that felt like.'

'Up until now I thought I was the best I could ever be.' Trunks scrunched his face, although Goten couldn't see him in the dark. 'I want…I want to become stronger and more serious like that guy, that future me.'

Trunks could hear the distinct shuffling of Goten rolling onto his side. 'Yeah. Maybe our parents were right, about how we should never stop training. Just in case, you know, we're nearly killed by a genetic freak of nature.'

Trunks chuckled darkly, a hollow feeling in his stomach. 'You know what we could do. We could wake up a bit earlier every day and get some sparring in before school?'

Goten was silent for a moment, but Trunks could hear the hope in his voice when he responded, 'You're on, buddy.'

* * *

Goten, Ron, Chibiusa and Syaoran stood outside the school gates, waiting for the others to finish their extracurricular activities. Goten was annoyed by the constant looks of concern directed his way, as many of the students still assumed he had moved from one of the towns that had suffered a flu epidemic.

Ron pulled his book bag in front of him and distractedly rearranged his books. 'Say, Goten. You know how Trunks does that thing where his hair changes colour? Does your dad have other forms by any chance? Anything _particularly_ frightening?'

Goten peered at his watch impatiently, not wanting to be at school longer than he needed to be. Thankfully they only had a few weeks left of term before the others graduated. He stared at the scuff marks on the toes of his shoes, then replied, 'Well, there's a few. There's Super Saiyajin…Super Saiyajin 2, Super Saiyajin 3, then there was the time he fused with Trunks' dad, and then the Saiyajin god form…' He emitted a low whistle. 'Oh, but I heard the _Giant Monkey thing_ is a bit scary. Though he can't really do that anymore.'

Syaoran and Chibiusa exchanged a horrified look. Ron gawped at him. 'Blimey! And your mum _married_ him?'

Goten grinned broadly. 'Of course. She kinda forced him into it, actually.'

Ron chortled and glanced at Syaoran. 'A forced engagement? Doesn't that sound familiar?'

Syaoran nodded his head sagely with folded arms. 'Oh yeah. I did something for Meiling once when we were kids and she wanted to get married.'

Goten made a choking sound and went slightly pale. 'No—it's true! She _is_ my mother!'

Chibiusa shook her head, still stuck on their comments about Meiling. 'Don't tell her I said anything, but I really don't understand what's so attractive about people with multiple forms. And everyone she's liked so far has at least two.'

'Even Malfoy is a bit two-faced,' mumbled Ron.

Syaoran frowned, nodding in agreement.

'But you know, Small Lady…between Elios, Trunks and your father, you seem to be into two-formed men yourself,' squeaked a small voice from Chibiusa's bag.

Chibiusa went pale and whipped open the bag flap. Diana poked her head out and grinned craftily. She had stowed away in the bag all day without Chibiusa noticing.

'Blimey! Your _father_?' Ron exclaimed, looking simultaneously impressed and mortified, recalling the masked man named 'Tuxedo Kamen'.

Chibiusa glared at Diana, looking scandalised. 'Must you bring that up? And what are you doing in my bag?'

'Kero said that the canteen had really good pudding, and he wasn't wrong,' Diana replied cheekily, licking a paw for emphasis.

Goten chuckled; so Trunks and Chibiusa had more in common than he thought. 'Funny thing. I remember Dad was telling me about how Trunks' mother was flirting with Future Trunks, like, before she knew he was her son. And he kind of liked it. So I mean, that whole _incest_ thing—'

Chibiusa scowled warningly at Goten, and then at Syaoran and Ron who looked away distractedly. 'We're _not_ discussing this!' she snapped.

Goten waved his hand dismissively. 'Fine. I'm just saying, it's something that you and Trunks' mother have in common.'

Chibiusa grumbled as she pulled Diana out of her bag and set the cat on her shoulders.

Ron looked thoughtful as he muttered to Ron and Syaoran. 'So maybe Trunks _does_ have a mother-complex?'

'What the hell are you guys talking about?' Chibiusa snapped, only then seeming to tune back into the conversation again.

Goten shook his head as he crossed his arms. 'Well, it's been decided. I've seen my brother and father out there. Their wives scare them and Gohan can't even fight anymore. So dating someone like my mother is a bad idea.'

He noted Syaoran's slightly relieved look, perhaps because Meiling was his cousin. But then Goten lingered on Draco's threat prior to battling Cell. He may not be interested in dating her, but Goten wanted to protect her from _him,_ he thought glumly as he saw Draco, Meiling and the others walk towards them.

* * *

 _ **The Eight Month: March**_

* * *

Over the next few weeks, the group of teenagers juggled regular life expectations (school assessment and extracurricular activities) around their frequent training sessions that were held early each morning and late each evening. It seemed to be a most stressful time, not eased in the slightest by the occasional near-heart attacks given to several of the house members from Trunks and Goten:

 _'So, yes, I was thinking that I would write the report on that,' Hermione said off-handedly to Meiling, discussing homework since they shared classes._

 _'Yeah that makes—' Meiling turned her head as she spoke, overhearing footsteps and shallow breathing from behind. She screamed. 'WHO THE HELL IS THAT?!'_

 _Hermione turned and screamed as well, hastily searching her pockets for her wand. 'SOMEONE HAS BROKEN INTO THE HOUSE!'_

 _Both scrambled to their feet as they saw a hunched-over old man dressed in a black vest with yellow sleeves, and white harem pants. His withered face was set into a scowl as he opened his mouth to speak, yet, he looked too out of breath to do so._

 _'What if he's a pervert?' Meiling shouted, shoving Hermione forward, 'HEY MISTER - TAKE HER INSTEAD!'_

 _Hermione glared at her. 'Excuse me?'_

 _Just then, others rushed into the room: Ron, Sakura and Syaoran, all looking confused and alarmed. Syaoran quickly summoned his sword, when the old man raised his arms up suddenly._

 _'Wait!' the man panted in a weird, echoing tone, 'It's just us...'_

 _Everyone gaped in a stupor. 'US?'_

The household came to realise that this man, 'Gotenks', was the result of Trunks and Goten's Fusion; however, they still struggled to fully master the technique. As a result, occasional sudden and creeping appearances of Gotenks in various forms, old, fat and skeletal, were constant but never failed to frighten or amuse them.

During that time, they celebrated a few birthdays by organising an intimate combined birthday dinner for Ron (whose birthday was 1st March) and Meiling (whose birthday was 25th March, but who begrudgingly complied). Meiling received makeup from her family, and a silk, cream-coloured cheongsam and matching sling-back heels from the household. Ron received a pile of presents from his family, including a store-bought sweater in dark blue rather than the usual homemade maroon, an assortment of wizard candy and magic gags from Fred and George, and a new laptop from the household.

The evening atmosphere was comfortable until Ginny's letter arrived with Errol-Number-Two after dinner.

The letter summarised the latest activities of Dumbledore's Army (a private congregation of students that resisted quietly against the 'invasion' of Hogwarts, thwarting the activities of Professor Umbridge and her Inquisitor Squad).

Another slip of paper was a clipping from the _Daily Prophet_ , posited as an eerie fluff-piece about Alucard, an obscure vampire that hunted other vampires – which were currently swarming the wizarding world. Ron expressed some fascination with Alucard's boss, Sir Intergra Hellsing, who he noted appeared quite frightening for a Muggle woman. He figured if the Ministry of Magic was turning to Muggles and Anti-Vampires for assistance now, things must have been pretty bad.

Written on the back of the letter in invisible ink was an excerpt about Renona, who was revealed to have attended Hogwarts around the time of Tom Riddle, and had been an honour student and Prefect in Ravenclaw. She had also become Head Girl. They realised she _must_ have been acquainted with Tom Riddle. After all, she would have been Head Girl at the same time Riddle was Head Boy. But how did this lead to the current happenings? Had she too been one of Voldemort's loyal Death Eaters?

A welcome distraction from all the usual stress was White Day, a day where a boy was expected to reciprocate and gift white chocolate to the girl that he fancied. On the weekend before this day, the girls were excommunicated from the kitchen as the boys messily prepared white chocolate from scratch, Syaoran obviously dominating the frenzied affair. On March 13th, White Day, Meiling found a crudely wrapped package that she first mistook for litter. Upon closer inspection, the scrunched up clump of paper had a card attached that read in small cursive: _'You're really special'_. She knew at that moment that Draco had made chocolate for her. When she unwrapped them, the white chocolate pieces were misshapen and smudged with finger prints. She ate and enjoyed them anyway.

* * *

Draco stared blindly at the chalkboard, voices going in through one ear and out the other. Draco felt embarrassed. The whole White Day act was something so unlike himself. Never could he ever imagine he could do anything so extreme just to win favour with someone, let alone a girl. A _Muggle_ girl. But he supposed he really did care for Meiling. More than he ever anticipated. He thought that he had all the self-control in the world, that he could easily look only after himself as he pleased, not looking over his shoulder, not thinking twice about anyone. But before he knew it, here he was, making himself into a complete fool, making chocolates, sending "love notes"...

He thought about the words his father had said, not too long before he was sent off to Tomoeda:

 _'I expect that you will do the right thing and follow the Dark Lord's wishes through the Dark Raven's orders. After that ridiculous stunt you pulled? Lusting over some Mudblood, disgracing the Malfoy name with that silliness of a love triangle? Get your act together and maintain your honour.'_

It was true. Back during Draco's fourth year at Hogwarts he had fallen for someone 'unworthy' like Sakura. The conflict between himself and Syaoran had become a spectacle for the tabloids. Do the right thing? Maintaining his honour? The words ate away at him. What honour did he even have left?

He recalled his mother's nagging tone that summer after that fourth year ended…

 _"You will not sully our Pureblood line with filth, you understand me?'_

These were the things he was raised to believe and made to understand with constant reminders like bees buzzing in his ear. He was a Malfoy. He was important. He was special. He was a pure-blooded wizard of high-standing. Sakura and Meiling, a Muggle-worshipping Mudblood and a Squib, were precisely the kind of 'filth' he was expected to avoid.

A slick smile crossed Draco's lips as he watched the teacher line the board with chalk. He whispered to himself, 'I'm a hypocrite.' _Too bad_ , he thought.

But what could he do? It had already happened. He made chocolates in the kitchen.

He glanced at the silvery badge in his hand, and then slipped it into his pocket ignoring the wandering eyes of confused classmates. 'You only live once…I guess.'

* * *

Syaoran breathed a sigh of relief as the bell sounded and he shuffled his papers into a pile. The end of term was fast-approaching. Soon they would graduate and then have time to concentrate on their next step. For Syaoran, this was a mental amalgamation of what they would do leading up to an inevitable final battle, and if they did survive, whether he would stay in Japan or go back to Hong Kong, what to study at university if he did stay. He scolded himself mentally; with the exception of the pending battle, everything else paled in comparison – all except the ring that he swore was burning a hole in his trouser pocket. He now carried it around religiously. He had almost dropped down on his knee after the fight with Cell, but when he'd seen how relieved she was with Yue and Kero's rescue, he felt it had been really inappropriate – inconsiderate, even.

He patted it consciously in his pocket as he headed out of class. Sakura's birthday would fall around the same time as graduation at the beginning of April, and the days were ticking away. He was determined now to ask. But when was the best time?

 _'Shao-ran-kun!'_

Syaoran grumbled, mentally blocking out the sickly sweet dulcet tones of Daffodil as she followed him out of Maths class with her heels clacking on the linoleum floor of the corridor. He didn't understand why she bothered; they were so close to graduating, and she seemed so foolish that he was certain she would be repeating the year.

'Syaoran, um, I mean Li – I mean, Syaoran - can I just compare notes?'

Syaoran growled and turned to glare at her. 'Look, I don't think it's worth even trying at this point.'

She blinked her wide eyes prettily at him. Syaoran rolled his own internally.

'Yo, Syaoran!'

Syaoran turned to see Goten approaching.

'Hey, Goten!'

 _Good_ , Syaoran thought, he needed help getting away from Daffodil.

Hold on…

He glanced between Goten and Daffodil. The two just stood staring at each other, identical smiles lighting up their faces. It was like Barbie had finally found her Ken.

' _Hello_ ,' Daffodil tittered melodically as she pushed past Syaoran and looped her arm around Goten's. 'I'm Hana Daffodil. You must be new around here. Why don't you let me show you around?'

It was like watching some cheesy scene from a teen rom-com. Goten's grin grew even wider like a Cheshire Cat as he flexed the arm she held. His bicep bulged impressively; she breathed in awe. 'You can call me Goten,' he replied slyly.

Daffodil giggled and the two strode off together, disappearing in the tide of students. Syaoran ran a hand through his hair. That had been the easiest cohesion of attraction he had ever witnessed. He thought ruefully how confusing and difficult he and Sakura's own courtship had been. But they had overcome so much to finally be together.

'Don't wait anymore,' he mouthed to himself, his heart racing. 'It's time!'

* * *

Goten couldn't believe it. He had been attending that school for several weeks, becoming more and more frustrated by the obscure education system so foreign to him, stressed from a potentially impending battle with a dark wizard, then he had happened upon the most beautiful girl! She had the clearest complexion he had even seen though only the slightest freckles dotted along her nose, her heart-shaped face set with wide hazel eyes and crowned with cherubic golden curls. Where had she been all those weeks? Maybe this was what Trunks had felt like when he had first seen Chibiusa; absolutely gobsmacked. Whipped. Taken.

In his delirium he had rushed to the local 24-hour chain store to buy her white chocolate. He had been anxious that she wouldn't be impressed by the cheap packaging, but she had received them as though they were gilded in gold. He couldn't be happier.

* * *

The countdown had begun at last as the graduating students of Seijou High School were at last in their final week. The usual group sat at their usual table in the lunch area, chatting excitedly about the upcoming graduation party. Indeed, it seemed to be all anyone spoke about. Tomoyo had fervently divulged on the various styles of formal wear she had planned for everyone, although the boys had opted to buy store-bought suits and tuxedos for fear of being forced to wear something bizarre. The topic then shifted to who they would be taking.

'Well, Chiharu will be going with Takashi, for sure,' said Naoko with a smile.

'I'll be going alone,' Rika said quietly, as though she were answering the question before it could be raised.

Sakura looked bewildered. Rika had always stated she had a boyfriend, but no one ever seemed to know who this person was, and she never brought him to anything.

'Naoko, who will you be bringing?' asked Tomoyo, curiously.

Naoko gave a furtive smile, adjusting her glasses along her nose bridge. 'Undecided. But there is someone I have in mind.'

Takashi averted a suggestive gaze at Fondu. 'Speaking of mysteries, I wonder who Sumi will be bringing?'

Fondu offered a sly grin, watching as his half-brother, Sumi, stood off in the distance purchasing some edibles. 'I still don't know. I guess we'll know the truth at last, hm?'

'Is it a girl we'd know?' Ron asked between bites.

Takashi's close-eyed smile expanded as he stroked his chin. 'I guess the first question is: is it a girl?'

Fondu guffawed as Ron stared in confusion. Hermione gave him a pitying stare. Meiling exchanged a weary glance with Draco. Then, they both flinched slightly, seeming somewhat shy and befuddled that they had even thought to acknowledge each other in that precise moment. It was obvious that they were growing closer by the day. Them getting back together, becoming whatever it was they were before, friends, more than friends, something more serious … it was inevitable.

Trunks turned to Goten who was preoccupied with swallowing several helpings of meat buns. It was a habit he struggled with, though it hardly mattered. Their classmates pitied him so much; few bothered to scrutinize his unusual eating habits.

'Hey, Goten, what are you going to do about the dance? Looks as though Meiling and Draco might be going together.'

Goten looked up curiously, his cheeks stuffed like a chipmunk stocking up for the winter. His eyes darted over to the pair, lingering briefly. He swallowed hard and then shrugged.

'If that's what she wants, I can't stop her,' Goten said.

Trunks crossed his arms. 'No, I mean, who are you going to go _with_?' Goten wasn't in the graduating year, and so the only way he could attend was as a graduating student's date.

Goten chuckled, waving a hand. 'Oh right. I've got that covered! Daffodil, of course!'

Trunks regarded him with surprise. 'Wait, are you seriously dating? Still?'

Goten had been boasting about Daffodil for days, and even though it had only been a couple weeks since they'd met, it felt like it could have been months. They even had nicknames for each other. Trunks was mildly intrigued, but a bit jealous that his best friend had found a girlfriend so easily and so quickly. He hadn't really wanted to believe they were truly a couple.

'What do you mean? Yes, _duh!_ Daffodil is the best. She's so funny, too. Like, she laughs at all my jokes and I laugh at hers. Trunks, you have no idea how happy and lucky I am to have met her.'

Trunks frowned. He couldn't picture such a dense girl actually possessing a sense of humour or any kind of wit.

Goten continued, his eyes shining with mirth, 'She's amazing. One day she says she's going to become an idol. Cool, right?'

Trunks stared dully, feigning interest. 'Hmph. Is that so?'

Goten bobbed his head excitedly. 'Yeah. See, her dad owns a huge company and her mother is a famous Australian model.'

'Australian?' Sumi chimed. Trunks and Goten looked over with surprise. He had popped out from nowhere and forced a spot between Trunks and Takashi. 'Did you hear that, Takashi? Mystery solved. Daffodil is half-Australian.'

Goten stroked his chin. 'Or was it _Austrian?_ I don't remember.' He leaned into Trunks, dropping his voice to a whisper, 'I don't know the countries in this world. Actually now that I think about it, she might have been just talking about her purse.'

Trunks rolled his eyes and chuckled. Goten was really dense sometimes. 'I'm glad you've found someone. She seems to suit you.'

Goten scoffed. 'Chibiusa suits you too. And I'm sure she likes you, so I think you'll be fine.'

Trunks faltered, his eyes rounded with hope. _'You really think so?'_

Goten spoke in a teasing manner. 'Ah, my best buddy is finally becoming a man after all these years of never dating anyone. It's hard to believe you would even try since breaking up with…'

Trunks blanched, interjecting, 'Don't—!'

'—Mai,' Goten finished anyway.

Trunks glowered. 'You just had to bring her up again?' His ex-girlfriend was a memory he really didn't want to revisit, a middle-aged woman turned pre-teen girl he had dated when he himself was a kid.

Goten grinned. 'You know, it's a good thing Dragon Balls don't exist in other dimensions. Imagine if you found out something crazy about Chibiusa, like she's actually hundreds of years old in a teenage body.'

 _'Hundreds of years?_ Goten, that's the most ridiculous thing.' Trunks turned his head away from his friend, finally growing tired of his silliness.

Chibiusa was on the farthest end of the table, conversing with Chiharu. Trunks frowned. They were the only ones out of their household going to the dance alone, without a partner.

'How pathetic,' he grumbled under his breath.

* * *

The graduation ceremony went by in a blur.

It seemed like they were in a dream as each of the teenagers glided onto the stage in heavy robes and mortar board, received their role of paper and then glided back to their seats. Dressed to the nines in their best attire, designed and made by Tomoyo (of course)they now attended the graduation formal, the latest J-pop hit blaring from exaggeratedly large speakers, sending vibrations through the polished hall floors and making the colourful streamers and balloons jitter with each pulse of music.

Harry and Ron looked fascinated, never before enjoying such a formal occasion, Muggle-style.

'It seems rather nostalgic,' Hermione noted, her thoughts clearly of the one and only time she, Ron, Harry, Sakura and Syaoran had been all been together at a similar event.

Syaoran passed an eye over Sakura as he tenderly held her hand. 'I guess now I was able to ask you properly, like I should've done for the Yule Ball,' Syaoran whispered.

Sakura nodded gently as she averted her gaze towards Meiling and Draco who stood side-by-side, not looking at each other, with arms rigid at their sides. They tried to act casual, but the tension between them was palpable. Sakura was reminded of herself when she had first met and interacted with Syaoran at Hogwarts. She returned her focus to him, squeezing his hand lightly.

* * *

Some time passed and a few had finally begun to dance. Trunks felt an eerie sense of déjà vu as he stood nervously in a corner, his hand shaking with a cup of punch. He was flanked by Takashi and Goten as they goaded him to approach Chibiusa for a dance. The girl in question was dancing in the middle of the floor, looking pretty in a fitted white sleeveless dress, her waist-length hair worn in loose waves around her shoulders. She danced out of time with Sakura and Tomoyo as though she danced to her own music.

'It's now or never, Trunks!' Takashi exclaimed, slapping Trunks on the back, making him nearly spill punch down his front.

'Bro, she's looking hot; you're looking hot,' Goten agreed, gesturing at Trunks' black suit. Goten had arrived with Daffodil but she was currently freshening up in the girl's room.

'Come on, it's graduation! This may be your last chance!' Takashi continued.

Trunks grimaced in thought. Since their battle with Cell, she had warmed up to him. She didn't retreat when he came near, and they'd begun talking more openly during their sparring sessions. He had shown her how to tighten her core when she received a strike in her midsection, and from there she had opened up about her life. The conversations continued even after the sparring ceased. One evening she had even made them tea and they sat outside and spoke about their homes and their world. He had learnt more about her role as a Sailor Senshi, her home Crystal Tokyo, and her mission that had brought her to this strange world. Upon her encouragement, he had told her about his strange alien father, his crazy scientist mother, and the interesting aspects of their world – she gaped when he described a multitude of aliens and bipedal creatures, and she laughed at the mention of dinosaurs! Sometimes he noticed her staring at him from across the dinner table or during the long nights of training. He got a sense that perhaps, she might like him too. But something was holding her back.

Trunks threw his head back and slugged his punch in one gulp. He scrunched the cup into a ball and handed it to Goten, who looked like he didn't know what to do with it. 'Alright guys,' he muttered determinedly, 'don't try to stop me.'

'Just go already!' Takashi laughed and shoved Trunks forward.

Trunks stumbled and bumped roughly into a dancing couple. They glared at him as he muttered apologetically and threaded cautiously through the pulsing crowd until he reached his target. Tomoyo was the first to notice him (she was dressed in a light blue kimono-style dress with a short skirt) and touched Chibiusa's shoulder to gain her attention. Chibiusa spun around and beamed at him.

'Trunks!' she gasped, face flushed from dancing. 'Come dance with us!'

She grabbed his hands and pulled him closer to their group. The four danced through two songs before Sakura was led away by Syaoran (with what Trunks suspected were 'bedroom eyes') and Tomoyo guided away by a shy Harry. Soon it was just Trunks and Chibiusa. The fast-paced song transitioned into a romantic ballad, and Trunks caught his breath as Chibiusa placed her hands on his shoulders and drew him closer. He almost didn't hear the music as he awkwardly placed his hands by his sides.

'No,' Chibiusa laughed, 'you do it like _this._ ' She guided his right hand to her hip and grabbed his left with the other. They spun a half-circle and promenaded for several minutes. All the while Trunks' heart drummed deafeningly in his ears. _He was touching her hip!_

He stumbled and she somehow managed to support his weight, laughing lightly. 'It's like you've never danced before!'

'Only with my mother,' he replied absent-mindedly. Then he blushed.

Chibiusa smiled. 'Well, if it helps, my father taught me to dance.'

Trunks felt a rush of relief; she didn't find his admission embarrassing. She actually seemed to be enjoying herself. He felt himself return her smile.

'Oh, Naoko! You are a left- and right-footed mistress of the dancing arts!' they heard a voice that was unmistakably Sanrio's, and spun to regard him and Naoko. However, where Sanrio should have been was a boy with a beautiful face and spiked blue hair. Naoko had noticed his debonair visage before them as she blushed and pulled him close. Without his glasses, Sanrio was actually very good looking!

'Wow, he brushes up alright,' Trunks muttered.

Chibiusa giggled in response and pulled him through the throng until they came to the edge of the tide of freshly minted high school graduates. They moved to the refreshments table and poured cups of punch. Trunks took a swig and peered around the room: Goten and Daffodil sat in a corner speaking intimately as Harry and Tomoyo danced shyly beside Ron and Hermione. Trunks couldn't locate Meiling, Draco, Sakura or Syaoran.

He turned to regard Chibiusa stiffly when he felt her hand on his arm.

'It's pretty hot in here, hey? Let's get some fresh air,' she suggested and he let her drag him by the suit sleeve outdoors.

* * *

Harry, Tomoyo, Ron, Hermione, Takashi and Chiharu had all returned to the refreshments table for a break. They stood chatting idly when Ron looked up, nudging Harry and the others in the shoulder and pointed.

'Hey, it's Fondu and Sumi,' Ron said. 'But why are they dressed like that? Is that normal?'

Fondu and Sumi had arrived lucky last, dressed casually in coordinated outfits: slacks and graphic t-shirts with impressions of a tuxedo.

'It's only a drawing,' Harry muttered, both confused and impressed by their boldness at wearing something so outlandish. He had seen enough of the Muggle world to know this was _not_ normal.

'You guys couldn't actually wear real suits to a formal event?' Chiharu muttered wryly.

Fondu shrugged. 'Figured this'll be more memorable.'

Harry smirked. To think this would be the last time he would see the two brothers. They were odd, _unconventional_ , but entertaining. They reminded him greatly of the Weasley twins. He could understand why Ron had grown so attached to them. Harry watched as two girls strolled up to their sides, one with long, chocolate-coloured hair and the other with a short, gingery bob. They were quite short and slender, and so Harry figured they must have been a few years younger than the rest of them.

'Oh yeah, these are our dates. Katsune,' Fondu motioned at the girl at his side, then at the gingery-haired one beside Sumi. 'Candi.' The girls smiled politely. Sumi waved to them a 'good-bye' before grabbing Candi by the hand and breezing away, both skipping cheerfully into the crowd like baby deer.

'First years? What a surprise,' Chiharu noted, though it was not clear if she were being sarcastic.

Tomoyo exchanged a bemused look with Harry. 'I know those girls from choir.'

Takashi waved a hand airily. 'Ah, so Sumi came with a girl.'

Fondu nodded. 'I guess he's decided which way to go, finally.'

Ron stared blankly. Wasting no time, Hermione tugged him away into the crowd as well as though fearing he would say something regrettable.

Fondu turned to Harry and Tomoyo with interest before his face broke into a grin.

'Hey you guys really make a nice couple. You're kind of like John Lennon and Yoko Ono.'

Harry lifted a brow confusedly. 'Who?'

'You know, the Beatles?' Fondu explained.

Harry lowered his eyes to regard Tomoyo. 'Why would we look like insects?'

Fondu gawked impassively as Takashi offered a concerned sigh, shaking his head sadly.

'Poor Harry. That boarding school _is_ pretty bad.'

Fondu snapped his fingers. 'No—hold on, I get it now. It's the dry British humour, right?'

Harry lowered his head, feeling embarrassed. Tomoyo giggled her usual 'ohohoho' and tugged lightly on his arm. 'Don't worry about it. Let's have fun!'

Harry grinned and the two set off to dance.

* * *

'Do you want to know something crazy?' Goten asked as Daffodil leaned on his shoulder.

Daffodil giggled melodically and whispered into his ear, 'I think I know what you're going to say.'

Goten grinned broadly and met her eyes. He admired the way the disco lights played off her perfect face, like porcelain framed in gold. They had only known one another for a few weeks, but they were basically inseparable. Stealing Bulma's time travel machine was the best impulse decision he had ever made!

'I think I love you,' he said brazenly.

Daffodil's eyes widened and then squinted as she smiled tearfully. 'Oh my gosh, Goten, I totally feel the same!'

A chuckle bubbled in his throat as she threw her arms around his neck and pulled him close.

* * *

Stepping outside felt like transitioning into another realm, the steady pulse of indoor music suddenly muted by the silence of a slightly cool evening. They strode to the edge of the balcony, conscious of other students tucked away in the dark including two who Trunks suspected were Draco and Meiling immersed in a deep kiss. He looked around distractedly. He caught an intake of breath as he saw her, admiring her elegant, slim profile backlit by a string of ice-blue fairy lights. Her presence invoked in him a deep longing and admiration, as though he stood in the presence of a goddess.

'It's nice out here,' Chibiusa murmured and leaned onto the railing, some hair falling over one shoulder.

Trunks gulped thickly. 'Y-Yeah.'

'It almost reminds me of home, just a little.' She frowned, silent for a while. He watched her face attentively as she gazed up at the sky. She looked sad, and he understood that she was homesick. She continued, 'Don't get me wrong. I love the people I've met and become friends with. But sometimes I miss them. Mother and father, Hotaru, the other Sailor Senshi... Elios…I hadn't said nice things to them the last time I saw them. I've taken them for granted.'

Trunks nodded as he thought back to when they had come and he had seen Chibiusa's mother, albeit her younger form, for the first time. It still gave him the shivers recalling the way they were fawning over him. Elios was perhaps her pet? Trunks had only met the Pegasus briefly, and had admired the magnificent winged creature. However, Trunks was certain that Chibiusa was able to summon Elios whenever she wanted.

'And then I miss Crystal Tokyo...and my palace...'

Trunks blinked. 'Palace?'

'You haven't realised it? Crystal Tokyo is _my_ kingdom.'

Trunks mouth felt parched. He had never made the connection. 'Right. So Crystal Tokyo is—then you are—royalty?'

She turned to him with an awkward smile. 'Sorry. I didn't mention it because I didn't want to make anyone uncomfortable. Everyone calls me Chibiusa, but there I go by Princess Small Lady Serenity.'

Trunks felt his jaw grow slack as he turned to stare out into the distance. A princess? Chibiusa was a _princess_?

Chibiusa looked back at him suddenly, self-conscious. 'Saiyajins are from another planet too, right?'

Trunks half-smiled. 'Well, I'm half-Saiyajin. My father was … the last prince of planet Vegeta, before it was destroyed.'

Chibiusa looked surprised. 'Your scary Saiyajin father was a prince? Then you're technically a prince, too.'

Trunks never really gave it much thought, but he supposed he really was like a prince in spite of having no kingdom. Capsule Corporation, complete with its size and wealth was kind of like a palace to him. He nodded slowly.

Chibiusa continued, 'The Moon Kingdom was also destroyed.'

Trunks stared in wonder, uncertain why she was saying something so random. 'Moon Kingdom?'

Chibiusa nodded. 'It's complicated, but…on my mother's side, I descend from the Moon. They don't call me Sailor "Chibi Moon" for nothing, you know.' She gave him a small wink as she added, 'In his past life, my father was prince of the Earth. Now he's Crystal Tokyo's king.'

After everything he had witnessed, magic, time and space travel, very little surprised Trunks at this point but the similarities between, it seemed were endless. 'My mother is from Earth as well.'

'We're so alike. ' Chibiusa looked pleased. 'It's like we've lived in the same house for months but are only now meeting each other.'

Trunks couldn't contain himself as he stammered, 'I-I'm really glad that we met.'

She grinned. 'Me too.' After a moment of awkward silence, she then turned away and again stared intently at the sky. 'It's strange. The Moon isn't out tonight.'

He directed his gaze to where she looked. The Moon really was invisible. Trunks had realised at last that that's why she had been staring at the sky all night. She had been searching for it. It reminded her of home, comforted her, reassured her that there was a home to return to.

'It's the night of a New Moon,' Trunks noted finally, thinking back to his astronomy texts he'd been forced to study for the entrance exam.

Chibiusa gave a cool nod. 'Ah, so that's it, then? The Moon faces the Sun.'

 _The New Moon_. On such a night both the Sun and the Moon rose and set together. The Moon wasn't visible to Earth when this happened. Trunks thought of their respective badges and symbols; his the Sun, hers the Moon. They were like this at this very moment, weren't they? Only visible to each other, high up on this balcony. The New Moon meant a fresh start. If this wasn't a sign, what was it? Trunks' heart raced as he gripped the railing tightly, his palms clammy. Surely, she must have felt the same way. They were so similar, it was perfect. He berated himself – hurry up, it might be your only chance.

'Chibiusa,' he said nervously.

'Yes?'

He wiped his clammy palms on his suit jacket and touched her arm gently. She smiled at him uncertainly.

'Chibiusa, I really like you,' he stammered. Just as he said it, there was a deafening explosion as fireworks erupted in the distance. Students further away exclaimed in awe. Trunks rolled his eyes and groaned at his wasted effort. _Now_ there were suddenly fireworks? The timing was unreal!

After Chibiusa admired the display, she turned and stared at him confusedly.

'What were you saying?'

The colourful fire played in her eyes. Trunks' ears beat with the sound of his own heart. He was almost taken aback by how much he liked her, how much he was drawn to her. He couldn't just say it as words could not articulate his feelings. He had to show her.

He grasped her shoulders and brought her close. Their faces were inches apart as they stared into each other's eyes. She remained still as he leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. Her mouth was warm and tasted of strawberries. He slowly withdrew his head and stared as her eyes fluttered open. Her gaze was unfocused at first, but then her eyes grew wide with astonishment. Trunks brought a hand to her face and stroked her cheek. Chibiusa's eyes grew even wider, her mouth open slightly.

The fireworks were inaudible as he said it again, 'I really like you.'


	5. Dance of Demons

**Chapter 5: Dance of Demons**

Chibiusa touched his hand that rested on her cheek. He felt a rush of warmth, but his stomach dropped suddenly when she weakly brought his hand down from her cheek and clasped it in hers. The look in her eyes was not amorous, but it wasn't upset, either. He saw raw confusion in her face.

'Trunks,' she said again, squeezing his hands, 'please.'

Trunks stammered, panicking, 'Wait. You feel the same, right?'

'I-I'm sorry,' she began ineptly, drawing her hands away. 'I can't.'

He felt a cold rush down his back. 'What?'

She murmured, 'Elios—'

'No!' he murmured sharply, clenching his jaw, his throat tight.

'I'm so sorry,' she said emphatically, reaching out to touch his shoulder. 'I didn't mean—'

Trunks shook his head and smiled tightly. 'No. _I'm_ sorry. It was just a misunderstanding.'

He took a deep breath.

'Forget it.' Immediately he turned around and made his way to the sliding door that exited the balcony and headed back into the throng.

He barely heard Chibiusa shout 'Trunks! Wait!' as her voice was drowned out by the music.

* * *

Draco and Meiling returned inside, hand-in-hand. Meiling couldn't help but smile, though she had forced herself all night to not look too excited. She was conscious of making Draco think he had won her over. She told herself to play hard to get. Yet, she couldn't help herself. She was happier than she had felt in a long time.

The two found a spot at the side of the room where there were a few seats empty. They watched as others continued to laugh and dance around them. This was a wonderful night: memorable, exciting, though bittersweet. She scanned the floor for members of their household. Ron and Hermione were at the refreshments table engaging in playful banter. Tomoyo and Harry had just finished their slow dance, and Tomoyo elatedly brought out her camera to videotape the enormous well-decorated hall and the dance floor. Trunks and Chibiusa were nowhere in sight, but she had noticed that Chibiusa had been extremely friendly with the boy all night. Romance was in the air. Perhaps, Chibiusa would finally realise her feelings. Meiling craned her neck and narrowed her eyes, realising Syaoran and Sakura weren't around either. The entire night Syaoran seemed nervous about something. She mused over what he might have planned, given that Sakura' birthday was only a couple days away. Syaoran was never too good at being romantic, but she knew his efforts were always endearing and heartfelt. Sakura was truly fortunate to have him at her side.

Meiling turned her head towards Draco. He was hunched over, hands pressed together as he stared ahead. Meiling could hardly fathom that they were truly here, together. Things had changed a lot since their first days in Tomoeda. He turned his head, lowering his eyes to regard her with a slight smile.

Meiling felt a hitch in her chest. That smile was all it took to send her heart spinning into cartwheels.

'Meiling,' he said in a low voice, barely audible over the background noise. 'I think I want to get back together.'

Meiling stared. 'Back together?'

Draco nodded and exhaled heavily as he shifted his gaze away. 'When I see you with other guys … it makes me …' He gulped, and then ran a hand distractedly through his hair. 'Well, the thing with Gaara—and now this Goten.' After that, it looked like he had broken into a cold sweat, his fair skin scarlet from what Meiling could only presume was anxiety.

'What exactly are you trying to say?' Meiling asked.

With shallow breaths he refocused on her, it seemed resisting the urge to break eye-contact with all his being. 'You make me want to be different; you make me want to be _better_.'

Meiling brought a hand over her mouth. He wanted to change?

Smirking internally, she gasped loudly and exclaimed, 'Of course, Draco! _Of course_ I'll marry you!'

'W-WHAT?' Draco's eyes bulged and his mouth fell open as he staggered to his feet. 'I never said anything about—!'

Meiling laughed, waving a hand airily. 'Relax. I'm _joking_. Sit down.'

He cautiously retook his seat. 'Y-You sure? I mean, I didn't actually say…'

Meiling rolled her eyes. 'Look, I get it. My answer is that I'll think about it. But for now, let's just have a nice time, okay?'

Draco stared for a long time, his expression indecipherable. Finally his lips tugged into a satisfied smirk as he leaned back against his chair and slung an arm over her shoulder. Meiling leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder contently.

 _Make him wait_ , she thought to herself.

'Yo, Li!'

Meiling and Draco turned as Fondu approached, looking confused.

'What's up?' Meiling asked, feeling a bit puzzled herself as she and the boy rarely spoke.

'Have you seen Katsune? She said she was heading to the girl's room, but it's been at least 15 minutes. I'm becoming concerned.'

'Well, girls often take a fair bit of time to freshen up, so I wouldn't worry about it,' Meiling laughed.

'Tell me about it!' added Draco, smirking before Meiling gently nudged him in the belly.

Fondu shrugged, nodding slowly. 'Hm. I guess.'

* * *

The kiss had taken her by surprise. The softness of his lips and the warmth of his arms were subtle sensations that contrasted to the explosions of emotions that sent her mind reeling. She had not recovered fully when he walked away looking dejected.

Chibiusa sat in the toilet stall patting her cheeks, which were still flushed from the encounter. She had a vague impression that he might have fancied her, just a little, but then they had started talking as friends, and she had disregarded it. But actually, he did like her, he _really_ liked her. She still felt the ghost of the kiss linger, and felt terrible though she wondered why. She didn't do anything wrong, she reasoned. At the same time, she wondered if she had said or done something to make him misunderstand.

 _What was she doing in the toilet feeling sorry for herself?_

She had to find him and make sure he was okay.

She opened the stall door and stepped out, confronted with the image of an unconscious girl on the floor, arms and legs splayed. Chibiusa rushed down and checked the girl's pulse.

'Can you hear me?' Chibiusa exclaimed, feeling the clammy coolness of the girl's wrist.

The girl's body jerked violently. Chibiusa dropped the girl's arm and reached for her head to turn it to the side, just in case she choked during the convulsion. The girl's head suddenly snapped up and she stared at Chibiusa with piteous, sunken eyes, making her yelp in surprise.

The girl craned her head as her jaw retracted open like that of a snake, her mouth filled with needle teeth like a lantern fish.

Chibiusa screamed.

* * *

Sakura and Syaoran strolled peacefully outside of the formal, enjoying the solace of the night, away from the agitating thrum of dance music. Hands clasped together, Syaoran led Sakura around until he was facing her. She wore a soft green tulip dress that made her eyes appear luminous in the dark.

'Sakura, thank you for everything,' he said genuinely. 'Through all of this, you have been strong and brave, and I have enjoyed being by your side. I'm so glad I bumped into you on the Hogwarts Express.'

Sakura's cheeks flushed a delightful pink. 'You say all this all of a sudden…'

'I have to say it.' Syaoran took a deep breath and slid the small box from his back pocket. He squeezed it tightly in his fist and stared at her intently. 'Because of you, my life changed; I changed. I know the past eight months have been confusing and often, frightening. But I would not change anything. I always want to be by your side.'

Sakura brought her hands to her face, blushing furiously. 'I-I feel the same about you.'

Syaoran took another breath and slowly lowered until he was propped up on one knee.

Sakura gasped softly. 'Syaoran?'

Syaoran felt tears prick at the corners of his eyes, his lip trembling as he brought the box around. 'Sakura, will you—'

His words were cut off by the sound of an ear-splitting, blood-curdling shriek.

* * *

It was as if everything had collapsed around him. He had known for months he would have given anything to be with her. But this whole time—there was someone else? What more, it was the most unassuming of creatures, the Pegasus, which he suspected now had another form. Was Elios more handsome, more powerful, more intelligent or braver than him?!

Trunks refused to look back at her. He tried hard to choke back the tears that welled in his eyes. He did not cry. He could not cry! What would his father say? Yet this feeling was so foreign, so excruciating. So this was what rejection felt like? Trunks had always gotten what he wanted, but it seemed it would not turn out that way, this time. _No!_ He never wanted to feel this horrible thing called rejection ever again!

Trunks wiped his eyes with the cuff of his sleeve and bumped into Goten and Daffodil.

'Whoa, buddy! What happened?' Goten's grin faded. 'Wait, are you crying?'

'No,' Trunks said thickly. He glanced at Daffodil's firm hold on Goten's arm and felt a stab of envy. How could his friend be so happy? He barely even knew her!

'What's wrong with him, Ten-Ten?' Daffodil whispered to Goten, looking confused.

'I'll be right back, Sunshine,' Goten whispered to Daffodil and followed Trunks to the other side of the hall, down a spiralling flight of stairs and out the door into the night. 'Buddy! Slow down!'

Trunks turned to Goten, his jaw clenched as his vision was misted with tears. 'I was so wrong,' he muttered and raked his fingers down his face with a sigh.

'So you told her,' Goten began.

Trunks laughed darkly and shook his head. 'I was so excited, I even kissed her…'

Goten made a 'whoop' sound. 'And?'

Trunks took a deep breath and wiped his eyes with the back of his palm. '…Then she said she's with someone else.'

Goten sighed and brought an arm around his friend's shoulders. They ambled in silence for a moment.

'I'm real sorry, Trunks. That just…sucks,' Goten said, attempting to be comforting.

Trunks shook his head. 'It's my own fault. What did I expect? We're from different worlds, and I guess…I guess this is for the best. Actually, you know what? She did me a favour. So I'm kind of glad.'

'No way, man! How can you lie to yourself like that?'

Trunks felt a rush of anger. He pulled away from Goten and glared at him. 'The only one lying to themselves is you. Just because you and Hana have hit it off, doesn't mean it'll last.'

Goten folded his arms. 'You're upset. You don't mean it.'

Trunks laughed derisively. 'Come on, Goten. Look around! Do you see Capsule Corp? _No._ This is not our world. We are not going to be here forever!'

Trunks saw the hurt look on his friend's face, and would have felt guilty if they hadn't been interrupted by a sudden stampede of people shoving by them, spilling out of the building in a flurry of colour and shrieks, dress fabric swishing and dress shoes clacking on the cement.

Their friends, Chiharu, Rika, Sumi and a few others were among the crowd. Takashi gripped Trunks shoulders, shaking him as he shouting hysterically:

'A MONSTER'S INSIDE—RUN FOR YOUR LIFE!'

* * *

Sakura and Syaoran clutched hands as Chibiusa hurtled towards them, her hair a tangled frenzy in contrast to the crisp white of her formal gown.

 _'Chibiusa?'_

'You need to come quick!' Chibiusa screeched. Horrified, she gestured for them to follow. Syaoran and Sakura hurried behind her into the building, struggling with their pinching formal shoes.

The crowd was splintered into two; pressing back in terror as a girl lumbered forward, her hollow, deep-set eyes a luminous red and mouth dripping a sickly purple substance. Her long brown hair tangled and whipped violently in the air as her face swelled. Her arms outstretched and then lengthened, morphing into strange mauve tentacles. Several more tentacles burst through the fabric of her dress and in the girl's place thrashed a gigantic creature, whose long-necked head scraped the ceiling, tentacle arms thrashing the air with wild, chaotic movements.

Chibiusa, Syaoran and Sakura exchanged frantic glances. They could sense the evil aura oozing from the creature's body, thick and viscous like syrup. Many of their classmates ran amok like misdirected cattle, while others hid and stood still, too scared to move. Sakura turned her head, hearing a clattering of high-heeled shoes: Ron, Hermione, Harry and Tomoyo all shared the same anxious faces. Not a moment too soon, Meiling and Draco had also joined them.

'An enemy?' Meiling asked.

'That _thing_ was a girl I saw in the toilet! I saw her before she transformed,' Chibiusa cried.

'A girl?' breathed Meiling. 'Could it be Fondu's _date_?'

'Katsune!' Tomoyo gasped frantically, lowering her camera to gape at the creature. She averted her eyes to Sakura. An odd mental exchange seemed to pass between them. Katsune must have been possessed. They both knew the feeling all too well.

'We need to act now,' Syaoran said in a resolved tone.

Chibiusa nodded, her moon compact materializing in her palm as she readied herself to transform.

Sakura nodded and drew out her star key from her dress front. 'But, first—I have to use Sleep.'

'No!' Hermione grasped Sakura's arm to stop her. 'It's better if we focus on helping the others escape. It won't be safe fighting with all of them in the way, _unconscious_ , at that.'

'You kidding? What do we do when the Muggles see, then?' Ron asked, gesturing madly.

Hermione furrowed her brow, snapping at him, 'That's the least of our problems right now, isn't it? There won't _be_ any Muggles if we don't act quickly!'

Without warning, one of the creature's tentacles rushed and lashed the ground with a heavy, deafening crash. The ground fractured where the nine stood. Some rolled, leapt or scrambled out of the way, while those too slow were helped by the others. It was a near miss. Their classmates, however, wouldn't be so lucky as some of the creature's free limbs managed to latch onto several of them, drawing them close to its gaping mouth.

 _'Relashio!'_ Hermione cried, a stream of purple blazing out at the creature from her wand, forcing it to suddenly drop the squirming people to the ground. It writhed in fury.

'What do we do?' cried Tomoyo, her camera in her palm and still recording as she glanced nervously at the others.

Harry lay on the ground with his hands balled into fists, momentarily paralysed with thought, watching as more classmates screamed, scrambling out the door and trying to avoid the creature's untamed movements or piles of falling debris. But in another corner a whole slew of them were cornered, panic-stricken, not wanting to escape for fear of drawing its attention.

'I SHALL PROVIDE ASSISTANCE!' shouted a strident but shrill voice. Harry turned to look, eyes squinted in confusion. A young man crept out from a crawlspace formed from a fallen pillar, planks of wood and slabs of drywall. He was a striking young man with glowing skin, wide eyes and electric blue hair. His eyes shone with confidence and his mouth was set in stern pout, accentuating a delicate jawline. He thrust out an arm, clutching a broomstick. 'I found this stowed in the supply room. I believe you require this.'

Harry blinked at the broom and then returned his gaze to the man. His face was so perfect— _symmetrical_. Who was this person? An angel? But the more Harry thought, the more the man sounded like…

 _'Kamenosuke?'_ Harry rasped, his eyes bulging in disbelief.

'Well, what are you waiting for? Fly, my bespectacled brethren! FLY!' Sanrio shouted in his usual nasal tone as he flung the broom into Harry's arms. Then he pivoted, raced towards the now abandoned DJ booth, lifting a fog-machine from its base. He darted towards the doorway which was now suddenly blocked off by the creature itself. 'You fiendish squid-beast!' Sanrio shouted, bringing its attention to himself instead. Its eyes flashed menacingly at him, a reptilian tongue lapping between its countless needle-like fangs. Sanrio didn't waver as he hollered out, 'BEHOLD! SCIENCE!' Subsequently, Sanrio hurled the machine at it, causing blocks of dry ice to shoot out and form thick smog, temporary clouding its vision.

'My rattled peers! Follow me!' Sanrio declared to his fellow graduates, leading them through the door. Aside from the fighters themselves, it seemed the building was finally evacuated.

'A diversion?' uttered Ron, looking mildly impressed by the Muggle contraption of a fog-machine. 'Bloody brilliant!'

Harry gaped dumbly at the broom in his hand. Why had Sanrio handed it to him? Could it be that he knew about them?

He didn't have long to mull over anything as the distraction of the dry ice was beginning to wear off. It no longer had an effect on the creature, though it had begun to fill the air with a choking mist. Instinctively Ron acted, throwing Body-Bind at the creature, but some of the spell seemed to have no effect as it hit and disappeared into the creature as though it were being absorbed.

'I think we ought to shut the doors,' Sailor Chibi Moon said, quickly bee-lining to the exit to close them, hoping to seal the creature in and their classmates out. Finally coming to, Harry leapt into the air straddling the broom and flew after her, hurling a charm on the door to seal it closed. Yet, as the broom wasn't magical, it failed to sustain his flight for long. Hermione and Ron cast jinxes at the creature, some working, some not. Syaoran attempted to cut off the creature's arms with his sword, and only managed to sever two before being slapped back into a wall. Sakura, who considered the fragility of the building, avoided elemental cards and instead used Dash to speed around the flailing tentacles and Sword to mimic Syaoran's movements, although with a bit more success. Draco, on the other hand, unwittingly was engaged in the never-ending task of undoing damage done, repairing the walls and columns and preventing total collapse.

No matter what, all efforts seemed in vain for the creature would regenerate, striking back with a vengeance.

* * *

Trunks and Goten located the source of the disturbance: a giant nightmarish creature made up of purple flailing limbs. They stared in awe.

'It really is a monster!' Trunks gasped.

'The kamehameha would finish it off. But I can't use it in here,' Goten mumbled, noticing the risk of damage to the building and their peers would be too great.

Trunks scoffed. 'Who cares about all that? Any old ki blast will do that monster in!' He held out his arm, conjuring up a white ball of energy. The creature seemed to sense his movements and whipped its head suddenly. It opened its mouth, spitting out a legion of slithery, shadowy, eel-like creatures with ugly, deformed heads and snarling, exaggeratedly large mouths.

Trunks faltered, bumping into Goten. 'WHAT THE HELL?'

The boys quickly used Instant Transmission, disappearing just before being hit and reappearing further up on the second floor overlooking the dance floor. They watched as the other Phoenix Fighters were ducking and weaving around the tentacles and shadowy beings below. Syaoran set forth Lightning on the shadowy creatures, which caused them to fizzle and evaporate. Sakura seemed to sense Trunks and Goten from above as she looked up and made eye-contact.

'TRUNKS! GOTEN!' she shouted, her voice echoing throughout the building. 'BE CAREFUL!'

'What is that thing?' Goten shouted back, unnervingly.

'She suddenly transformed into it—Fondu's date,' Sakura hastily explained, her star wand out. 'She might be possessed.'

Trunks and Goten exchanged baffled stares.

'We can't do anything that'll seriously hurt her then,' muttered Trunks.

Goten turned anxiously. 'What? Then how—?'

' _HIRAIKOTSU!'_

The boys turned their heads, hearing from outside a far-off but still audible voice of a woman. Without warning, the window shattered and a gigantic human-sized object came smashing through. Trunks and Goten dived, hollering a slew of profanities as remnants of glass jetted out and pelted them. Lifting his head, Trunks strained to see that the object was in fact a weapon— _a boomerang_ —which hurdled towards the creature, slashing through four of its flailing arms. The creature cried out in a revolting, disembodied tone.

* * *

Sakura gawped as from the broken opening in the window emerged a large figure. She blinked rapidly as the creature was revealed to be a large white cat with sabre-toothed fangs and flames wavering at its heels. Riding the cat-like creature were two teenage girls, one dressed in a pink and black body suit and the other in a school uniform, and a little boy with a tail. The flying cat hovered in place as the body-suit girl caught the heavy, twirling boomerang with ease. _Were these the heroes?_

'The demon has a jewel shard!' the uniformed girl shouted, pointing at the creature.

The other girl nodded. 'I think I got rid of some of its arms for now, but I don't think I can risk throwing the Hiraikotsu in here again.'

'D-Did they just say _demon?_ ' Ron gaped, his mouth hanging open. 'T-Takashi said locker demons were a joke. Demons don't…actually mull about in the open, do they?' Ron referred to their first day at Seijou High School where Takashi had told them an elaborate but convincing tale about demons that hid in high school lockers. Ron and a couple of the others had almost believed him, considering they'd never attended high school in Japan.

'Unless he lied about lying? ' Draco wondered aloud, seeming to share Ron's sentiment of fright.

'What if he lied about lying so that we would think that he was lying? So in fact he really was just trying to confuse what was truth and what was a lie?' Ron whispered tensely.

'That liar,' Draco growled from under his breath.

Hermione and Meiling rolled their eyes in collective agitation.

'Forget "locker" demons,' Hermione said with a scowl. 'This might be the _real deal_. Think Grindylows, _Kappas_ …'

'I think this thing is much worse than a Kappa,' noted Sakura with a lingering stare on it. 'It's much more violent and unpredictable. And attacks are not having lasting effects on it.'

'What if it's like Gaara?' Meiling posed in a shaky, unnerved tone. 'Gaara had a demon inside. What if she's the same?'

At that moment the doors flew open. The group turned to the door, stunned and frightened that someone was able to break through Harry's Sealing Charm. A man came running in, dressed in black and violet robes and sandals, his hair styled in a minute ponytail and a wooden staff in his hand.

'A monk?' murmured a perplexed Tomoyo as she peered through the camera lens.

He appeared out of breath, not noticing them as he regarded the beast then the three riding on the giant flying cat. 'Sango! Kagome! There you are!' he shouted.

'And me too!' shouted the little boy.

'Right, you too, Shippo,' the monk responded dryly.

The woman with the boomerang, Sango, yelled back, 'Miroku, where's—'

Before she could finish there was a blur of red and white as yet another person came crashing through another window. Trunks and Goten who had finally stood, dived again, their voices echoing from above.

 _'Iron-Reaver, Soul-Stealer!_ ' the teenaged boy bellowed, his long white hair and red Japanese robes fluttering heroically as he lunged at the giant creature, swiping at it with a confident smirk that revealed sharp canines. The demon writhed in agony, gurgling in rage.

Tomoyo turned frantically to Sakura. 'What if he _kills_ her? Katsune is only a first year—she's part of the school choir!'

Sensing her friend's distress, Sakura turned to the 'heroes'. 'Everyone! Please, can't you fight without hurting her? She's human!"

'Feh! This is no human! It's a body-stealing demon that's revealed it's true form!' shouted the boy. He had landed evenly on the second floor railing. Sakura hadn't noticed it before, but he appeared to have golden eyes and white ears like a dog. He didn't look fully human himself.

'Inu-Yasha is correct. The real human it stole its form from is no more.'

Sakura turned to see that it was the monk, Miroku, who had spoken. She frowned and a sinking feeling tugged at her insides. None of this made sense. _Katsune was 'no more'?_

Once again the creature was moving. Though Inu-Yasha had managed to cause it some injury, its many arms regenerated rapidly once more and it seemed to become even more ruthless, sparking and flickering with dark energy. It surged its full body towards him. Inu-yasha back-flipped with a yelp, barely missing its strike.

The girl named Kagome called to the white-haired boy. 'Inu-Yasha, there is a jewel shard in its chest! Use the Tetsusaiga!'

'One step ahead of ya!' Inu-Yasha shouted, drawing a sword from his waist. 'Eat this you ugly brute!'

He then soared into the air, his arms raised as the oversized sword glowed with a swirling aura. Once only a few metres away from the demon, he began to bring his arms down when the sword suddenly began to shrink. Inu-Yasha's body pulsed as though jolted by the steady shocks of a defibrillator. His white hair instantly turned jet-black.

He wailed, 'NO! _SON OF A_ —'

Hovering in mid-air for only a split-second, the boy tumbled to the floor, his voice a strangled yowl as the Tetsusaiga clattered from his grasp.

 _'Bloody hell!'_ Ron's voice could be heard throughout the hall in a wave of repeating echoes.

'Kirara, down!' commanded Sango.

The giant cat landed as the frantic cries of Kagome resonated, along with the patter of her shoes as she ran to the dark-haired boy's side. 'Inu-Yasha!'

'DAMN IT ALL!' Inu-Yasha spat bitterly, folding his arms like a spoiled child, in spite of Kagome's attempts to console him.

Miroku shook his head despondently, his staff planted firmly into the floor. 'Oh, it's Inu-Yasha's human form.'

'It's a night of the New Moon, isn't it?' muttered Shippo, who the Phoenix Fighters noticed had the likeness of a fox.

'I guess he's out of this battle, then.' Sango sighed, giving him a pitying stare as she stroked Kirara.

Miroku sighed, gesturing towards a hand wrapped in cloth, secured with beads. 'And I can't use my Wind Tunnel in a place like this…'

As Inu-Yasha broke into a tirade of expletives, Syaoran frowned, his eyes darting between them and the Phoenix Fighters. 'Should I even bother to ask?'

'Ugh. No, let's just keep things moving,' Harry mumbled, noticing the many-tentacled demon was swiftly encroaching on Inu-Yasha and Kagome. Sango defended and hit back with the blunt sides of the gigantic boomerang while Miroku tried striking at it with his staff.

Harry glanced at the others. 'Ideas?'

'Well, if it really is a demon, we need something to counter its dark energy,' Hermione suggested.

'That's it!' Chibiusa, now Chibi Moon said, pulling out her wand. _'Purification.'_

Syaoran nodded. 'I can use my talismans.'

They all formed a line, arms outstretched as they aimed towards the demon. They watched in wonder as Kagome drew a bow and arrow, shooting a gleaming projectile at the demon, reminding them very much of Yue. Right at its shoulder, where the arrow struck it sparked and smoked as though burnt with acid. It seemed to greatly affect the demon for it released a gruesome hiss.

* * *

'I missed!' Kagome shouted. She aimed again, this time striking with precision. A tiny glinting jewel fragment spun into the air from its chest. Shippo leapt into the air, his tail wagging as he caught it and sped away to hide.

'Nice one, Shippo!' exclaimed Sango.

The demon reduced slightly in size, its head folding closer to its body, several limbs retracting into its stomach. However, it didn't relent and further enraged, it was then set on attacking Kagome, Sango and Miroku with a violent passion. It again began spitting out more shadowy, miniature demons. The three were saved by their flying cat, Kirara. But the black-haired Inu-Yasha, who was now helpless, jostled back until he tripped. Just short of being pummelled and devoured by the demon, Goten dived down, snatching Inu-Yasha by the waist and jumping away at lightning speed.

'Whoa, that was close!' Goten said, as he relocated Inu-Yasha to safety on the second-floor.

'Oy! Get your hands off of me! I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself!' Inu-Yasha barked, pushing away roughly from Goten.

'You didn't look too capable to me,' Trunks muttered, folding his arms.

'Feh!' Inu-yasha sniffed defiantly, turning his head and too folding his arms.

Goten exchanged a wary glance with Trunks. They decided to ignore him as they refocused on the battle.

As if following an unspoken cue the Phoenix Fighters below (save for Meiling and a taping Tomoyo) raised their arms up, their wands poised towards the creature.

 _'Moon Healing Escalation!'_ cried Chibi Moon, leading the others into a synchronized assault.

 _'EXPELLIAMUS!'_ bellowed Harry, Ron, Hermione and Draco.

Syaoran threw ofuda, his paper talismans. Sakura commanded out, sending forth Firey.

Their combined attacks swirled and wove around the creature's form like a cocoon of energy. The creature bellowed gutturally for several moments until it was completely engulfed. Finally, it exploded into shimmering beads that faded into nothingness.

* * *

Trunks and Goten leapt down from the second floor, a writhing Inu-yasha in their grasp.

Trunks shook his head, thinking glibly that he was more of a "cat person".

Meiling sighed, 'I can't decide if that Inu-Yasha was better-looking with the white hair or the black hair.'

'You're right. Also, I did take quite a liking to the dog ears,' Hermione commented. Chibiusa and Sakura nodded in agreement.

Kagome grinned, bragging, 'Yes, his ears are super cute.'

Several of the boys muttered that they themselves were better-looking than Inu-Yasha, with Ron stating, 'I could just put on a pair of ears and be instantly cuter!'

Inu-Yasha grumbled with his arms folded. 'Shut up everyone about my ears!'

'Oh, but it's a universal truth,' Shippo teased and tugged at Inu-Yasha's now human ears. You're just _so_ cute!'

Inu-Yasha made a yowling sound and tumble-rolled over, taking Shippo with him into a struggle on the ground.

Suddenly Meiling screamed, making everyone stare. She clenched her hand into a fist and landed a solid punch into Miroku's face. It looked like an impressive hit but he continued to reach towards her, eyes glazed with what could only be lust.

'Argh! Hey, I just wanted to—know if you would—OW!—bear my children!'

Meiling shrieked in rage and kneed him sharply in the stomach. 'NO MEANS NO, YOU PERVERT!'

The lecherous monk bent over, clutching his stomach with tears of pain glistening in his eyes. 'Oh well,' he struggled through clenched teeth, 'there's, like, four more…they can't ALL say no.'

Meiling delivered a precise chop over the back of his neck, making him land face-first into the ground. She placed her heeled shoe over his head and pressed down slowly. 'Get it?'

'Yeesh. Miroku vaguely reminds me of Brock,' whispered Chibi Moon to Hermione who nodded in agreement, recalling their first battle with Team Rocket.

'Alas, this too may be a battle we swear to never again speak of, but still can't help but remember anyway,' Hermione sighed.

Sango came over and grabbed the collar of Miroku's robes. He moaned thickly as she nodded appreciatively at Meiling and dragged him away as the portal appeared before them.

Kirara, Sango, Miroku and a dishevelled Shippo and Inu-Yasha disappeared through the entrance in space.

Kagome waved as the others in her group vanished. She slung her bow and arrows over her shoulders and turned to smile at Sakura and the others. 'It was nice to meet you all.'

'You're not going with them?' Sakura asked.

Kagome shrugged her shoulders. 'There's no point, I can just take a train back to Tokyo. I prefer public transport anyway.'

'Wow, you actually live there?' Ron asked, eyes round.

'Oh yeah, my family owns the Higurashi shrine.'

'Amazing! I've seen that one before,' Tomoyo marvelled, filming the conversation as though it were a live interview. 'So you are a high school student in Tokyo?'

'Actually, I'm just finishing Junior High,' Kagome replied and looked down at her watch. 'Oh, it's getting late! I need to run. But it was nice to meet you all.' She nodded to the others and broke into a run.

'Will we meet again?' Sakura called after her.

Kagome glanced over her shoulder and quickly ran back. She pulled out her cellphone. 'Here's my number.' They exchanged numbers

'Oh, hold on.' Kagome brought out the jewel fragment that they had removed from the creature and held it in her open palms. The shard glittered and changed from a murky black to a pale, luminous purple.

Some marvelled at the gesture while others stared around at the debris of the battle. Their otherwise fun night had been ruined, but perhaps it was not all bad. After all, they had gotten out of the battle unscathed. The group began to motion through the door ready to take in the night air.

'Ugh, I can't wait to take these off,' Meiling whined as she reached to rub her ankles.

 _'Well, well...'_

They heard a man's deep voice intone from behind.

They all turned and watched as a tall masculine figure stepped towards them from afar, cloaked in a baboon hide. The others were puzzled at first, but were alerted when Kagome screamed, 'NARAKU!'

With only his smirk visible, the man, Naraku, chuckled, making his baboon hide shake. 'Yes, it is I, Kagome. I see you've slain the demon. I've come to retrieve the shard that is mine.'

Kagome glanced at the shard in her possession and glared at him. 'No! You mean you were the one controlling the demon with the jewel shard?' Her fingers formed a tense, shaking grip around it as she muttered to herself, 'This is bad. If Inu-Yasha hadn't become human he would have sensed Naraku's presence.'

'What's this about a jewel shard?' shouted Harry, who stared at Naraku wearily.

Naraku glimpsed at him malevolently. 'The _Shikon no Tama_ , the Jewel of Four Souls, of course.'

Kagome stepped away from Naraku and explained rapidly to Sakura and the others, 'The Shikon Jewel provides an incredible amount of power to those who use it, whether for good or evil.'

Naraku lowered his head, obscuring his face. They felt the dark energy seep out of his form like a twisted shadow. 'Yes, a jewel that grows more beautiful the more evil it becomes. But now I seek something else. Something greater…'

Neck-tie flapping in the wind, Syaoran dashed towards Naraku and with a roar slashed at the baboon hide. The hide slid off of Naraku, and exposed a handsome but sallow face framed by wavy black hair. Two red eyes glowed, contrasting to his dark blue kimono. Syaoran jumped back and was unnerved at how calm the man had been.

The others spun around and stared towards the now abandoned building. A sea of thick fluid, like gelatinous darkness, spilled from the windows and pooled at the base of the building. At first the fluid encroached lazily across the ground, but then bubbled and frothed to form solid creatures, twisted and writhing as though in infinite torment. The horde surged forward and surrounded Naraku. He smirked as the horde slowly lifted him several feet in the air, as though he rode a nightmarish wave.

Several demons branched out of the horde and charged Kagome. The girl skilfully drew back her bow and struck three demons directly in the skulls. Trunks, Goten and Meiling shot into the air and swooped over the demons. Syaoran and Sakura targeted elemental attacks, while Hermione and Ron threw defensive spells. Harry held an arm protectively in front of Tomoyo as he summoned a shield spell, Tomoyo filming the whole thing.

Chibi Moon cast pink magic from her wand, eliminating several of the demon horde until Naraku dropped down from his perch of demon shoulders and advanced towards her. Chibi Moon cried out in surprise and sprung back like a jackrabbit, barely missing him by inches as Naraku continued to pursue her, a dark concentration on his pale face. When his attempts appeared unfruitful, Naraku yelled and released a thick black smoke that instantly filled their lungs. It burned their throats and seared their lungs.

'It's a poison miasma!' Kagome coughed, sprinting to round up the others. 'We have to retreat!'

Sakura summoned Fly and Windy, its transparent curls of magic wrapping around Syaoran and the others and lifted them out of the poisonous smoke. They were placed along the road, everyone coughing roughly. Tomoyo had inhaled too much of the vapours and had fainted. Meiling and Kagome were also the most affected. Sakura reasoned that it was due to their lack of magic, as she took stock of the others. The headcount was right, except she then noted that they now had Kagome - the toxic gases had scrambled her head - wait - Chibiusa was missing!

* * *

Chibi Moon coughed violently as she crawled onto the balcony. She had lost her wand on the ground outside. She slid across the cool tiles, gasping for air as she groped blindly for the railing, where not long ago she and Trunks had looked up at the night sky. She could hear the shivering wicker and natter of demons as they swarmed towards her, but she couldn't see through the sting of tears and noxious clouds.

'Give it to me,' Naraku's voice reverberated around her.

She craned her neck around and rasped, 'What do you want?'

She still couldn't see anything. But she gagged, feeling and _smelling_ the revolting evil aura emanating from Naraku. Everything in her was repulsed by him. She had finally found the railing and slowly lifted herself to her feet, her head swimming.

'I'm here for the Silver Crystal. Queen Beryl was also after such a thing…why search for shards of the Shikon no Tama when I can have all that incredible power at once, right now? _From you_.'

Chibi Moon shook with fear, stammering, 'I don't know what you are talking about! Leave me alone!'

What engulfed her was worse than being scolded by fire, worse than being fried to the core with lightning. The darkness swept through every pore, filling her with a deep pain and dread. She screamed in agony.

'It's the source of your Moon power,' she heard him continue. 'So let me see that beautiful, pure-hearted crystal…how beautiful is such a crystal when it's corrupted? I must know!'

She cried out desperately, clutching the railing, 'I don't have it! The Silver Crystal belongs to Neo-Queen Serenity! It belongs to Crystal Tokyo!'

Suddenly his dark energy withdrew, leaving her feeling raw and empty like a wooden husk. She bent over the railing, the bar pressing into her stomach as she gasped lungfuls of clean, merciful evening air.

'Crystal Tokyo, you say?' she heard him utter ponderously.

She turned her head weakly and slid down to her knees. He was gone.

* * *

With her final reserve of energy, Kagome shot a single sacred arrow into the miasma, allowing it to purify its poisonous vapours. The others had managed to maintain the arrow's effects, further breaking through the fog and demon horde to allow Sakura and Syaoran inside in hopes of retrieving Chibiusa. The demons continued to swell and surge like an unpredictable tide emerging in and out of the mist.

In spite of their discomfort, Trunks and Goten followed suit, bursting through the doors and levitating in after them. Coughing slightly, the boys strained to see, blindly blasting at the demons that emerged from the miasma. Their formal suits had been reduced to shredded rags, flapping around them annoyingly as they were continually cut and sliced by invisible claws and teeth.

'There's too many of these demon things!' Goten groused. 'For each of us there's like 30 of them and we can't even get too close without that damn poison hitting us!'

'If we could clone ourselves, this would be done in two seconds!' Trunks retorted.

The two boys caught each other's eye and nodded. 'Ya! That's it!' they said in unison. They landed bodily onto the ground and performed the Fusion dance. In a swirl of smoke and dust, Gotenks emerged in his full glory. It had always been the oddest sensation, two minds simultaneously working together like two riders on a tandem bicycle, but with a thousand times more power. A singular entity, Gotenks flexed his arms proudly, pure energy brimming under his skin, ready to erupt.

'Alright!' Gotenks exclaimed and squinted into the fog. He could track the jaunted and twisted movements of the demons. There were at least a hundred slithering and soaring through the miasma. Gotenks puckered his lips together as though blowing bubble gum. Slivers of misty energy emerged from his lips until they multiplied into an army of white ghosts.

 _'GHOST KAMIKAZE … ATTACK!'_

The ghosts went flying, latching onto the writhing demons. The demon horde simultaneously exploded in a bouquet of light and colour. The smoke immediately dissipated, exposing the damage of the area, and the dishevelled appearance of the Phoenix Fighters.

* * *

'Chibiusa!' Hermione exclaimed as Sakura and Syaoran emerged from the building, Chibi Moon leaning heavily between them.

Hermione and Meiling rushed over and threw their arms around Chibi Moon's neck. 'Are you okay?! We were so worried!' Chibi Moon patted their backs gingerly and moved back. Though still partially weakened by the miasma, Meiling saw that Chibi Moon was upset.

'What's wrong? We won!'

'I...I think I...never mind, it's nothing.'

Chibi Moon looked past Meiling's shoulder and saw Gotenks (at last fused properly) standing to the side, arms folded smugly. 'Oh...you did it,' Chibi Moon said softly.

Gotenks inclined his head slightly and scratched his nose as he looked at her. Meiling noted that his eyes lingered for only a moment, looking empty, _hollow_. He then half-smirked and looked elsewhere. Meiling blinked, speechless.

* * *

 _ **Authors Note:** _

**_Hi everyone! If_** ** _you like fanart, check out our Deviantart page under "Enchanted Revelation". We draw lots of art just for this story._**

 ** _Well until next time, folks!_**


	6. The Shadows Stretch Across The Scene

**Chapter 6: The Shadows Stretch Across The Scene**

The so-called 'Dark Raven' had spent many months building strength in reputation and power to lure Dementors to her side. The likes of Team Rocket and Frieza had proven to be utter failures, but their presence nonetheless demonstrated a hint at her potential. Alas, it had taken the recent developments of the battle of Beryl, a witch turned demon queen, and the enlistment of Naraku, a malevolent half-demon, to entice the shadowy creatures to join her ranks. The Dementors slowly trickled out of Azkaban like a leaky inkwell, so subtle an exit that the Ministry had not known for some time. And so, Renona's ranks continued to grow. However, there remained a few sceptical voices in the hordes that stared at her sallow, hunched form on the makeshift thrown, stroking the skull that bore an eerie green glow.

Bellatrix Lestrange flicked her sleek black hair over one shoulder and pursed her lips. She and this witch had not agreed on much during Voldemort's first attempt to reign, back when she was simply 'Renona Karasuhoshi'. Bellatrix had always desired to be Lord Voldemort's most ardent supporter, yet that place had apparently fallen to Renona. Why had The Dark Lord not approached _her?_ Was _she_ not loyal enough?

As it had turned out, Renona was now running the show, taking Bellatrix and the other Death Eaters along for the ride. They watched her send minion after minion, each defeated (albeit, with difficulty) by Harry Potter and his friends. Of course, she had been pent up in a cell forced to endure that torturous cold and miserable existence, all the while unable to do a single thing. Her cheeks burned with rage; how long would they have to wait until they could finally attack?

Bellatrix folded her robe sleeves with a sneer. 'If anything, her name should be Lady Vulture. What on Earth is she waiting for? Someone else has to kill them before she does anything? I'd personally love the satisfaction of murdering Potter myself.' She spat, 'If I had been running things, I wouldn't be wasting so much time with the foolish others. And then there's Draco. She's dropped the ball on him too! Feeding us information, but why is he not here with us yet? Even if he is my nephew, I would demand he show his face here _at once.'_

The fellow Death Eater, Yaxley, looked contemplative, his thick brows drawn together in an upwards 'v' shape. 'But this witch is certainly powerful — you can feel it, Bella. You can see that she is building up to a grand finale. All we need to do is be there.'

'Why would Voldemort settle for her, after running away for all these years? While the rest of us _near rotted_ in Azkaban!' she snarled, angered by his remark. 'That traitorous bitch! She's no better than that dirty Pettigrew.'

'But you aren't running things, are you Bellatrix?'

Bellatrix inhaled sharply through her nostrils as Renona glided over to them, every sinewy crevice of her boney form exaggerated by the dim glow of the wall lamps. Renona glared at Bellatrix, her face twisted into a sneer.

Bellatrix faltered and fumbled, 'Lady Karasu!'

Renona bared her teeth, though appearing to barely contain the anger that slithered like a snake beneath the surface. 'I would mind your tongue. I am not sure the Dark Lord would be too fond of a loyal supporter questioning his judgement...'

Bellatrix bowed her head deeply, her hair sweeping across her face like a curtain as her neck locked in terror. She had thought her conversation private, but no such thing in these catacombs. Yaxley followed suit.

'Bella, oh, _Bella_. You so desperately want a chance don't you?' Renona continued mockingly, her footsteps reverberating against cold, stone floors. Bellatrix winced as she felt the sudden prod of the witch's wand at her throat that slowly slid up just under her jaw. She dared look up. Karasu voice was a raspy hiss, her crimson lips drawing back mercilessly. 'Guess what? _You get your wish_.'

She then drew her wand away suddenly, her amethyst eyes flashing wickedly as her smile quickly retracted into a menacing frown. She turned sharply and walked away, robes swishing, its trail dragging along the floor. Bellatrix regarded her with rounded eyes, holding her chest and feeling as though for a moment her heart had stopped. That woman…

'Why?' Bellatrix called after her, nothing else on her mind but this single, burning question for which there was no comprehensible reason. She stared tensely at the woman's back, shrouded in a long mass of dark, wavy hair. She stopped in her tracks.

'The question isn't why, it's when.' Karasu half-turned, her sallow profile a ghostly glow contrasting against the dark of her hair and the room. 'Understand one thing, Bellatrix. This comes from the Dark Lord himself, not I. The only piece of advice I have for you is this: _do not fail._ '

She turned and continued on her way.

* * *

Following the "graduation battle" the Phoenix Fighters chose to remain in the house for several days, uncomfortable and uncertain of what their friends and teachers had witnessed that night. What more, they didn't know how to go about broaching the topic of Katsune, a girl that had been their friend Fondu's date to the graduation party and fellow choir member who Tomoyo knew. To their surprise and horror, they received an Owl from the Ministry, stating that the situation had been 'dwelt with' through mind-altering charms. As a precaution, those Phoenix Fighters with magic strengthened the protective charms that were already woven tightly around the property like yarn.

The arrival of this message did nothing to liven their spirits. Sakura observed this especially in Trunks and Chibiusa, who seemed the most disturbed by the battle. Perhaps this was because they were not able to easily contact their families in other worlds, cut off from their main support. Lingering on the thought of other worlds, Sakura brought out her cell phone and stared at Kagome's number. Perhaps Kagome could give them some insight into the battles and the heroes that had been sent along to assist them.

The phone rang on the other end briefly before it picked up.

'Yes, Kagome's phone?' an old man's voice responded.

'Um hello, is Kagome available please?' Sakura asked, cradling the phone to her ear.

'Oh yes — no — sorry, Kagome is sick in bed with scurvy.'

'Oh-Oh dear!' Sakura exclaimed. 'Is she alright?'

'Yes, yes, she will recover. Maybe call back another time? Although she may have some other disease next time you do.'

Before Sakura could reply the call ended. She stared down at the phone. 'Wah... _scurvy?'_

'Hey guys, check this out,' Harry said as he walked into the room with an overly stuffed envelope. He opened its contents, a pile of photos drifting onto the living room table. Rifling through them revealed that most were candid shots of Tomoyo throughout the years, taken at different angles, while a few were different. One was of Trunks standing on the roof with the moon silhouetting his muscular frame, and Harry in midair on a broomstick, his mouth drawn back in a laugh with glasses askew.

'Blimey...that's Stalker 101,' Ron commented.

Tomoyo looked sick as she read the attached card:

 _'Potter, I should have known all along that I could not possibly compete with your heathen ways. I accept that you have bewitched My Queen of Hearts. I would not relinquish my love unto any other worthy adversary. Daidouji-sama, my darling, I must leave thee heart to another, for I have found love with the enchanting Yanagisawa Naoko! Farewell!'_

Tomoyo looked at the photos again and then at the card. Something seemed to be working in her mind as she turned and clasped Sakura's hands, eyebrows upturned with sorrow. 'Sakura...I am _so sorry_ about how I behaved towards you all those years with the videotaping. Now I know how you must have felt.'

Sakura squeezed her best friend's hands reassuringly, giggling. 'Oh Tomoyo, it's _fine._ I know you only did it because you're like my sister. It's not like you had some weird obsession, like Sanrio.'

Tomoyo glanced at Sakura for a beat and then smiled tightly. 'Yes … it certainly wasn't … anything like that.'

Sakura watched curiously as Tomoyo pulled a face at Harry. 'Well, I guess we can safely burn these. Well, except the one of you.'

Harry scowled. 'What? No — but I'm piss-drunk in that picture!'

Tomoyo had already left the room, humming sweetly to herself.

* * *

Being cooped up in the house for several days had made some tempers flare. Draco had stormed out of the house having fought with Syaoran over how he preferred his potatoes steamed, and Meiling had followed after him, as per their agreement to let none leave the house alone. Tomoyo, determined to defuse the situation, had sent Syaoran and the other boys into the hot tub out the back to unwind. The five boys sat around with towels about their waists as they slung their arms back against the cool tiles.

'So, Malfoy and Meiling seem pretty close,' Ron said observantly, mopping his face with a damp cloth.

'Yeah, it's a real shame,' Goten lamented, leaning his chin in his hands. 'Malfoy is so obnoxious. He's so obsessed with proving himself better than everyone.'

'Hey, hold on,' Trunks said, 'you call it obsession. To others, it's passion.'

Syaoran glared over his folded arms. 'Oh, come on! Even your friend who's been here for not even two whole months gets that Malfoy is a total snob, and you still can't see that yet?'

Trunks returned the glare. 'I never said he was perfect.'

Harry scoffed, placing his fogged glasses onto the side. 'You guys are missing the big picture here.' He stood up and gestured with his hands. 'His personality is not even the worst thing about him. Have you noticed how the weather's getting warmer, and he is still wearing long sleeves?'

Ron sniggered, nudging their shoulders, 'You don't suppose he's hiding a Dark Mark?'

They all turned quiet.

'It was a joke,' Ron ventured, looking alarmed. 'You guys don't actually think…?'

Harry narrowed his eyes. 'Well, would you put it past him?'

Syaoran gasped softly. 'Wait. You're saying he's working for the Death Eaters?'

Harry shrugged. 'Or maybe that he is one. Didn't Ginny already imply this? What if he really is a spy?'

'You're all paranoid,' Trunks scoffed. 'Really? A spy? If he's a spy, he's certainly a terrible one. 'Cause last time I checked—we're all still alive.' He made sure that the towel was securely in place before he stood— not wanting to repeat the experience he had had the first time they'd all entered the hot tub.

He heard another sploosh and sodden footsteps as Goten followed him. Ron, Syaoran and Harry yelled in disgust.

'Aww, sick!' Ron roared.

Curious, Trunks glanced around, then just as quickly whirled away with a disgusted sigh. 'Oh, come on Goten. Have some decency.'

'Pff, you're all just jealous!' Goten proclaimed, and pulled a towel from a rack as they passed, at last preserving his modesty. 'So like, why do you defend someone like Malfoy?'

They fell into a slow, damp stride as they moved towards the change rooms. Trunks shrugged. 'He reminds me of Dad. He kind of reminds me of myself.'

Goten stared blankly. 'Oh. I never thought of it like that.'

They stepped into separate change stalls.

'I guess it's difficult for most to understand,' Trunks said, pulling a shirt over his head. 'Pride is a powerful thing. And it's not that he doesn't want to be good. He just doesn't know how to be.'

Goten made a 'hmm' sound in response.

Trunks thought briefly about the Future Trunks they had met recently. He had been a very lonely person, and strangely, reminded Trunks of Draco in that regard. 'People like Draco need friends the most.'

'Well, I suppose you're not really the best judge of character,' Goten muttered. 'I mean, you threw yourself at Chibiusa, and that was a bust.'

Trunks felt a cold rush down his back. 'What the _hell,_ Goten?!' He finished pulling on his trouser shorts and exited the stall to find Goten waiting, leaning against the wall with a scowl. 'What are you talking about?'

'I'm sick of being cooped up in this stupid house,' Goten yelled suddenly, flinging his arms up. 'We're all becoming mental. You're defending this guy who has no respect for any of us here. And every time I bring up Daffodil, you shut me down, like, she doesn't even matter! Your attitude, man, it's ticking me off.'

'Certainly not enjoying yours either, buddy,' Trunks snapped back. 'Get off your high-horse. You don't know Draco— we've lived together since day one.'

'As soon as you come off of yours,' Goten said, advancing and pushing Trunks in the chest. ' _You_ barely know Daffodil, yet you keep telling me to forget her — but I won't, Trunks — I adore her.' He groped his hands, frustrated. 'And this Malfoy drama, I don't get it. You've known me for your whole life, and yet you'd take his side over mine.'

Trunks folded his arms self-consciously. Why were they even fighting? Goten was right — it was this house. Perhaps the hot tub hadn't helped. They were overheated and possibly dehydrated. But it was partly Trunks himself. Since confessing to Chibiusa, and being subsequently rejected, he had felt irritable and prepared to snap at the others. He needed to re-evaluate himself and cool off.

'Goten, I'm sorry… I can't deal right now. I'll talk to you later, okay?'

He pushed out of the door and into the backyard, squinting against the sun and inhaling the faint scent of cherry blossoms. Winter was over. Perhaps a walk around the neighbourhood would clear his head. He noted slightly ruefully that they had agreed on the two-person method, but he didn't think he could stand being around others right now. He ambled purposely through the house towards the front door, hoping to avoid the girls. No such luck as he stepped into the front entrance and bumped into Chibiusa.

Her eyes rounded in surprise as she bumped off his chest with a squeak and stepped back. 'Oh, sorry!'

'It's fine,' he muttered. He didn't mean to put so much gravel into his voice that it came out as a growl, but he failed and was regretful when he saw the hurt in her eyes. He tried again, 'I'm just gonna head out for a bit. Don't tell the others I've gone alone.'

'Oh...um, sure.' She breathed deeply, as though leading into a new sentence.

He glanced at her obliquely. She was beautiful, and before he would have stared at her all day, but now it was like looking into the sun. It hurt to look at her.

'I'll catch you later,' he said casually as he slipped on his trainers and opened the door.

'Wait, Trunks!' she exclaimed and touched his shoulder.

At the light tickle of her fingers, Trunks turned to her in surprise, his heart leaping.

Chibiusa pulled her hand back as though shocked by her own action. She cleared her throat. 'Um...could you...grab a cartoon a milk while you're gone? We're ...out...' She smiled gingerly.

Trunks frowned. 'Sure,' he muttered and swept out of the door in a hurry.

Hitting the pavement felt like breaking for freedom, like a fish ripping free from a fishing line. But his mind lingered. What had that interaction just been about?

* * *

Draco had pushed up his shirt sleeves due to the sudden heat of Spring, and Meiling glimpsed a dark etching of a human skull along his left forearm.

'Oh, Draco,' she said, 'I didn't know you had a tattoo.'

Draco glanced from her down to his wrist. He hastily pulled down his sleeves and folded his arms.

'I was feeling daring when I hung out with those Muggles a few months ago. Don't tell father,' he joked, rolling his eyes at the sky.

Meiling gave a slight nod and turned her head. She stared down at the pavement, watching their shadows pool across and mirror their every footstep. Tattoos weren't common in Japan, even among the wildest teenagers. Even she knew that much.

Yet, she recalled going to touch his arm some time back and indeed, he had pulled away. Perhaps, he had it freshly done then and it had been painful. During those long winter months, Draco had been his most miserable in Tomoeda. Who knows what state of mind he must have been in to get such a frightening tattoo? She frowned. She didn't want to remember those times. Not at all.

* * *

As Ron, Hermione, and Syaoran reviewed their Owls and Tomoyo read a book, Sakura decided to try calling Kagome again.

'Hello?' the same old man answered. 'Oh, Kagome? She's still dealing with Dengue Fever, so...'

There was a muffled sound and a squawk.

'Grandfather, why do you keep saying these things? I'm right here! And since this is MY cell phone, I'd prefer you just let my calls go to voicemail!' Kagome's voice sounded angry. She added, grumbling, 'Seriously. _"Dengue Fever"._ Does that disease even exist in this country?'

Her grandfather replied, 'Why are you home?'

'I LIVE HERE!' Kagome yelled and then after a crackling sound, she said, 'Hi, Sakura?'

'Ah, Kagome,' Sakura said, delighted to have finally caught her. 'Is this a bad time?'

'Oh gosh, I'm so sorry about all that. I heard you called but I was in the Feudal Era the other day.'

'Oh, of course. I just had some questions about when you and your friends came to fight Naraku and his demons. We understand that this happens each time we battle.'

'Oh yeah,' Kagome explained, 'we were approached by a witch who told us that we were needed to fight in another realm, and used some sort of poem like "where the thing you must search for, and your greatest enemy, lie". It seemed kind of shady, but then Inu-Yasha just yelled that we "should go" and he was already through the portal. We followed and then ended up where you were.'

'And it was so much help — thank you!' Sakura said with a smile. She then paused. 'Kagome...could you describe what the witch looked like? Were they male or female?'

'Oh, definitely female. I thought that she might be a demon at first, but she didn't have a dark aura. She was quite tall with long black hair and black robes. I didn't get a good look at her face, but she wore red lipstick.'

Sakura met Hermione's eyes and lifted her eyebrows with emphasis. Hermione made an 'oh' with her mouth.

'Thank you, Kagome, that's really helpful. Oh...actually, what are you doing on the first of April?'

It sounded like Kagome was checking her cell phone calendar before she spoke. 'Believe it or not, I'm not going to be suffering some mysterious disease. What for?'

'It's my birthday. We were just going to have a small gathering. I would love for you to come.'

There was a pause. 'Wow, that's really kind of you. Of course I will come!'

Sakura beamed. 'Great, I'll text you the address. Don't worry about gifts.'

'Is it alright if I bring Inu-Yasha?'

'Oh, of course. The more the merrier!' Sakura giggled. Syaoran glanced at her curiously. 'Okay, good-bye.'

'Was that Kagome?' Tomoyo asked cheerily.

Sakura grinned at Tomoyo. 'Yes. She and Inu-Yasha are coming over for my birthday.'

'That dog-eared brat?' Syaoran muttered, folding his arms.

'That's the last thing we need,' Ron agreed.

'I think it's actually a good idea to bond with our allies,' Hermione said reasonably, reading a piece of parchment. 'We'll probably need more help down the line.'

'What're you reading, Hermy?' Ron asked and leaned over to peer at her parchment. His eyebrows rose sharply. 'That's Percy's handwriting! Why do you have a letter from Percy?'

Hermione made an annoyed sound in her throat. 'Ron, please.'

'No. I want to know why you're corresponding with that prat,' Ron said angrily, standing up.

'Ron, really … not now,' Hermione said, warning in her tone.

'Ron's brother?' Syaoran asked Sakura, who nodded solemnly.

'He works for the Ministry. They're not on good terms,' Sakura explained quietly.

Hermione calmly rolled the parchment and tucked it into her pocket. Ron reached down to try and pull it out, and Hermione swatted his hand.

'Ron, you've got to calm down,' she said.

'Why should I?' he snapped. 'You're fraternising with my brother!'

'Ronald, _please,_ ' Hermione snapped in kind. 'This is exactly why I didn't tell you; I knew you'd blunder off into some sort of accusation, without substance. A few months ago we weren't making any progress with our investigation. I saw Percy's working for the Ministry as an opportunity to find out more, after all, he's on the inside.'

'Oh, so you're saying I have no substance?' Ron cried, the tips of his ears turning red. 'Well, you've got me all bloody figured out, haven't you?'

'That's not what I said,' Hermione yelled, scrunching her hands into fists. 'Why can't you just listen for once, think before you speak?'

'I don't have to deal to this,' Ron muttered and stalked out of the room, his head brushing against the door-frame.

Hermione's face was now screwed up and red. 'Ronald Weasley, you do _not_ walk away from me!' She stepped out after him, her voice carrying in the hallway. 'Why do you always behave this way, like a petulant child!'

'I do not act like a _petu—_ whatever!' Ron's voice yelled back. 'I'm not the one who is bossy — just like my mother!'

Sakura, Syaoran and Tomoyo sat in silence as Ron's and Hermione's insults carried out from the hallway and faded up the stairs.

'Oh, I suppose if I was more like _Syaoran_ you'd listen to me!' Ron's voice roared. 'After all, you can't stop agreeing with him, and admiring him. You're basically glowing every time he's near — I've seen the looks!'

Sakura watched as Syaoran's face turned pink and his mouth pulled back into a grimace.

'You know what, you're right, Ron!' Hermione screamed. 'You should be more like Syaoran—at least then you'd have more than two braincells to rub together!'

There was a morbid silence, succeeded by a procession of stomping feet and slamming doors.

'I'm going to make some tea,' Tomoyo said as she sprung to her feet. 'Any takers?'

'Yep,' Syaoran said.

'Yes, please,' Sakura uttered.

* * *

Now that school was over, the team feverishly ramped up their efforts to find more information about Renona and the enemy. The Daily Prophet front pager detailed a massive escape of Death Eaters from Azkaban, and the subsequent rebellion of the Dementors. This sent shivers of trepidation through the magic-possessing Phoenix Fighters, who frantically renewed the protective spells around the home several times a day. They kept their wands on at all times, and agreed that if they were to step out of the property, to do so in pairs.

The only other information they could glean were old copies of the Prophet that Hermione and Tomoyo retrieved from the archives in Kotou Takinou's small wizarding public library. Renona's extended Irish family members had all been murdered by Voldemort. They wondered, aghast, that if she were a sympathiser, how she could possibly be loyal knowing of these murders? Then again, seeking gross power and dominance were not necessarily logical desires, they reasoned. Their days of peace were narrowing steadily, as though they hazardously watched the final granules of sand trickle to the bottom half of an hourglass.

Even with the weight of calamity slowly crushing their spirits, they still tried to live as normal a life as possible, by preparing and eating dinner together, doing chores, training and preparing for Sakura's birthday.

* * *

Chibiusa lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling. Her mind lingered feverishly on what she had said to Naraku that night. At the time it had seemed like a good strategy to get him to leave, as she had been desperate. But now she felt the cold fingers of dread trace lines up and down her spine.

What if she had made the worst decision of her life?

At times like this she would would have sought comfort from Elios, but it had been months since she had seen him, she thought, devastated over and over again by this reality. She closed her eyes. She could still imagine him perfectly in her mind's eye: his slim, softly masculine body hinted at through translucent fabric, his gentle smile beneath liquid golden, coppery eyes that bore into her soul, each feature delicately framed by a white radiance.

She sighed wistfully, remembering the gentle glow of his love. But then, a sudden chill came over her— a sudden strangeness consumed her heart. As if it were telling her something she did not wish to hear. The picture of Elios within her mind faded, only to be replaced by a young blue-eyed, lavender-haired man. She let out a gasp, covering her mouth with her hands as she sat up straight on her bed, making the springs groan in protest. Why had her mind replaced Elios with _Trunks_? Chibiusa stared wide-eyed at her hands that shook when she heard Trunks' voice, like poetry, in her mind:

 _'… I really like you…'  
_  
Chibiusa clutched her chest, her heart pounding steadily. She remembered suddenly how _nice_ it had felt with his lips moulded to hers. Her body against his. His arms wrapped around her shoulders, holding her within his warm, firm grasp. Her face suddenly hot with embarrassment, Chibiusa shrieked and shook her head violently to eradicate the memory. She stood up shakily.

'No!' she proclaimed, now staring herself in the bedroom mirror. 'I will not let his words sway me into feeling this way.'

'Small Lady,' Diana mewed, leaping onto the bed, I can't stand by any longer and watch this. How long are you going to deny your feelings?'

Chibiusa turned to her, enraged. 'Don't you understand? I have a—'

Diana rolled her eyes. 'Yes, we all know you have a boyfriend. But the one you _love_ is _Trunks_.'

Chibiusa stared at her feline guardian. Her vision glazed as tears threatened to spill. It was not possible. 'I can't love him. It's wrong _._ '

'Please, Small Lady! You need to be honest to Elios and yourself,' Diana continued, looking concerned. 'Things change and feelings change. If your heart no longer belongs to Elios, you shouldn't punish yourself like this. Love is not something you can control.'

'That's right, Diana!' Chibiusa said determinedly, swiping at her tears. 'Things change, and this … whatever it is I feel for Trunks can also change.' She gave a shuddering sigh and sunk onto the bed, placing her head in her hands. 'Elios and I have been through so much. He doesn't deserve this.'

She felt slightly comforted by Diana's paw resting on her shoulder. 'No,' Diana said, 'he doesn't deserve "this". He doesn't deserve to be lied to.'

Chibiusa pulled away from Diana and stood up once more. 'This isn't your business! Stop trying to tell me what to do! I'm not breaking up with him — this conversation is over!'

She threw open the door and — damn her misfortune — slammed straight into Trunks. He held her shoulders steadily and she stared, wide-eyed, into his handsome face.

She felt them. Butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Fireworks going off in her mind. _He was so beautiful._

She then thought about how he must feel. Hurt. Rejected. And here she was standing, staring at him like a fool.

She didn't _want_ to move, but she willed herself, with effort, to slide out from his hold and step back. They were still staring at each other, as though bespelled.

She wanted him to kiss her again.

But then he broke eye contact as he asked under his breath, 'You alright?'

'Y-Yes, thanks,' she whispered, still watching him. She wanted him to look at her again, like he always did. Why didn't he look at her?

'By the way, got the milk.' His cheek dimpled with a faint smile as he focused on her shoulder. 'Take it easy,' he mumbled casually, turned and walked away.

She watched his well-muscled back recede down the hallway, and felt her eyes overflow with tears. He had been avoiding her lately. It shouldn't have bothered her, but she felt so hollow, her throat tight.

'Trunks,' she uttered.

She then snapped out of it, horrified. She had possibly put her family and her kingdom in danger, and here she was, pining for a boy from another world. She had to see Elios _now,_ to confirm that her fears were unfounded. A secondary desire, she relented, was that she had to know Elios' feelings for her.

She carried her pink summoning bell into the back garden that evening and held it above her head, crying, _'CRYSTAL TWINKLE YELL!'_

She felt the familiar rush of warmth that accompanied the summon dance. She craned her neck to stare into the evening sky. She didn't hear the familiar whinny of a horse.

A rush of cold wind sent her to her knees. She looked up and saw her friend, Sailor Saturn, Hotaru, standing before her, her arms outstretched. She didn't linger on the fact that Pegasus had not come, but in his place, was her best friend!

'Princess!' Hotaru cried as Chibiusa bounded into her arms.

'Hotaru!' Chibiusa choked and burst into tears. 'I really, really missed you.'

Hotaru made soothing sounds as she rubbed Chibiusa's back. 'It's alright, I'm here, Chibiusa.'

After Chibiusa composed herself, and Hotaru transformed into her civilian form, the two girls walked into the house. The household were shocked to see the new arrival. In the living room, Chibiusa, conscious to not directly meet their eyes (in case her eyes were still red from crying), introduced Hotaru to the others, each eyeing her curiously. When she introduced Trunks, she noted Hotaru's eyebrows creep up slightly, as though in appreciation. Chibiusa felt her cheeks grow warm at the reaction. Once introductions were over, they sat around with tea.

'What brings you here?' Chibiusa asked.

Hotaru glanced around shyly at the others. She then returned to smile brightly at Chibiusa. 'I was honestly curious about how you were doing.'

Chibiusa felt a rush of affection towards her friend. She had missed Hotaru's kind smile, free of judgement or scrutiny. 'I'm so happy! You've come just in time for Sakura's birthday, too.'

Hotaru looked over shyly at Sakura. Chibiusa saw a flicker of nervousness cross her friend's face; she knew that Hotaru was quite a reserved person, and being among lots of people made her uncomfortable. Now that she thought about it, sharing a (although spacious) two-story house with ten other teenagers and several maids and butlers was not particularly comfortable. She mentally scolded herself for being so thoughtless, but felt relieved when she observed Hotaru exchanging a smile with Sakura.

'Oh, I'm sorry,' Hotaru murmured. 'I didn't mean to intrude.'

'It would be lovely to have you with us,' Sakura said, beaming. 'I'm really happy to meet a friend of Chibiusa.'

'We will be having a light afternoon tea,' Tomoyo said, clapping her hands together. 'I'm excited to meet another Senshi.'

Hotaru consciously blushed and dipped her head politely. 'Thank you for having me.'

Meiling shrugged. 'Spending the night, huh?' She directed a glance at Chibiusa. 'She can take my bed. But just for tonight.'

Chibiusa smiled appreciatively.

As the others turned and went on their way, Chibiusa glanced back at Hotaru with a smile; yet, she noticed Hotaru hadn't lifted her head, her gaze still averted downwards and lips pressed into a tense, thin line.

'Are you alright, Hotaru?' she asked softly. She wondered if her friend could be so shaken by the unexpected presence of so many strangers.

Hotaru lifted her face and stared pensively. As though something filtered through her mind, she paused, and then smiled jovially. 'I'm just really glad to see you. I can sense that your power has grown. You've also matured greatly. Like a true princess.'

Chibiusa stuck her tongue out and chuckled. 'Well, you wouldn't believe the battles we've faced. I've had to force myself.'

Hotaru nodded and tilted her head. 'That boy...Trunks?'

Chibusa's eyes widened. 'Huh?'

'He...well,' Hotaru started, 'they don't make them like that back home.'

Despite herself, Chibiusa laughed, suppressing the urge to cry. 'So...Elios...'

Hotaru cleared her throat and bounced to her feet. 'My, I'm so tired...it's really late. We must go to bed early so we are full of energy for Miss Kinomoto's birthday tomorrow. We also need to go shopping to find her a suitable gift, no?'

Chibiusa blinked. 'Um, oh right! She said no gifts, but it would be nice to surprise her.'

* * *

 _ **The Ninth Month: April**_

* * *

Sakura's birthday took place on a warm day with sunlight filtering through fluffy clouds, and the air strong with the aroma of cherry blossoms, heralding Spring. The household set up a tea party-styled affair in the garden at the back: a long table draped with pink silk, and spread with crisp white doilies, colourful teacups and delicate chocolates, cookies and strawberry shortcake. They each wore semi-formal attire: the girls swathed in chull and petticoats of various colours, and the boys in crisp-collared shirts and pressed slacks.

Deciding they wanted to preserve a sense of freedom, they excused their maids and butler for the day. Likewise, they had not informed their former classmates about the event, nor their families. But Sakura was delighted (though caught off guard) to see Touya and Yukito's faces pressed close to the security camera outside their property. Though at the back of her mind, she was a bit weary about having to explain the clutter and mess of now twelve teenagers present in the house.

'Surprise! Happy Birthday!' Yukito exclaimed, thrusting a giant wrapped box into Sakura's arms, making her arch back with its weight. He wore a light blazer and jeans.

Touya, who was dressed in a green windbreaker and loose-fitted pants, grunted non-committally, his arms folded.

'Oh, what a surprise!' Sakura gasped as Syaoran took the package for her.

'Aww, you don't seem very excited to see us,' Yukito said with a slight frown.

'N-No, I really am!' Sakura said frantically, waving her hands. 'Please, come in.'

Yukito's face broke into a broad grin as he stepped past them into the house. Touya followed slowly, rubbed Sakura's head to muss up her hair affectionately, and then exchanged a glare with Syaoran over the large present.

'Why does the place look like an American frat house?' Touya said with an air of suspicion, staring narrowly around the living room. 'It's like a dozen _monsters_ live here now.'

'Not a monster!' Sakura huffed in annoyance, as her brother was often prone to calling her one, even after all these years. 'We've just been preparing food.'

'Ooh, food,' Yukito piped up, smacking his lips.

'Through the house and out the back,' Syaoran said helpfully and placed the gift on a side table. 'I'll take you.'

Yukito made appreciative sounds and followed Syaoran, leaving Sakura and Touya glaring at each other in the front entrance.

'You're not boarding your entire graduating year here, are you?' Touya said, quirking an eyebrow. 'I don't think dad and Sonomi would be too hot on that idea. Also, I noticed _that brat_ is still here.' He gestured at where Syaoran had departed from.

Sakura stuck her tongue out. 'Why can't you trust me? We've lived here for over a year!'

'Pff. You'll still always be my little monster,' Touya remarked, ruffled her hair a second time and then pulled her into a bearhug.

'Quit it!' Sakura grumbled, but leaned into the hug.

At that moment the bell at the gate went off. Touya turned swiftly and pressed the open button. After a few moments he opened the door and stared. Sakura glanced over his shoulder and gasped. She'd nearly forgotten.

'Oh, Kagome! Inu-Yasha! Welcome!'

Touya stepped quickly out of the way as Inu-Yasha rushed through the door in his trademark red robes, his nose scenting the air. Touya watched with wide eyes as the white-haired, dog-eared, bare-footed boy bounded on all fours through the house, tracking mud.

'Inu-Yasha, come back here!' Kagome called, sliding off her shoes and apologizing to Sakura as she followed after him. She was dressed in a simple black dress and grey cardigan buttoned only at the top. 'Bad boy!'

Touya and Sakura followed them out into the backyard and gawped: Inu-Yasha was growling at Chi-Tun as they circled each other.

Kagome grumbled under her breath. 'No! That's a bad boy! Sit!'

Inu-Yasha slammed his face into the soil and groaned. Kagome made a tutting sound and sat beside Tomoyo at the table.

'One or two sugars?' Tomoyo asked sweetly, holding small silver tongs over a bowl of sugarcubes.

'One please,' Kagome said politely, and then took a sip from her cup.

Touya continued to watch Inu-Yasha suspiciously as he took his seat beside Yukito, who had taken to loudly eating a slice of shortcake. He leaned over to his partner and muttered, 'What did I say? _Monsters_.'

Yukito turned with a closed-eye grin. 'Sakura is very hospitable. You must be really proud of your sister.'

Touya frowned. 'That's not what I meant.'

Once Meiling had extracted Chi-Tun and deposited him into her lap, and Inu-Yasha squatted beside Kagome on the ground, everyone started to chatter politely around the table, complimenting Tomoyo and Hermione on their baking. Trunks and Goten shared amused grins as Inu-Yasha struggled to hold a tiny dessert fork between his claws.

'Oh look, it's "Mr. Capable",' Trunks sniggered.

Inu-Yasha's ears flickered. He raised his jaw and stared at Trunks piercingly, pointing with the fork. 'OY! SHADDUP!'

Trunks and Goten suppressed laughter.

'Inu-Yasha, don't be rude,' Kagome admonished.

Inu-Yasha growled and turned away from Trunks and Goten. He then proceeded to glare at Touya, his nostrils flaring. 'I don't like the smell of that guy.'

Kagome leaned over to Sakura. 'He's a dog demon, so he has a really sensitive nose.'

'He's a _demon?'_ Touya said, face stretched into an expression of mangled horror.

Yukito stopped mid-bite and turned to smile brightly at Inu-Yasha, which seemed to unnerve the dog demon.

Kagome shrugged, 'Well, only half.'

Goten blinked, looking curious. 'Oh, so does that mean he's like, way weaker than a full demon?'

Kagome raised her arms. 'Careful! He's really sensitive about the "W" word.'

Inu-Yasha clanged the cutlery onto the table, and clenched his fist. 'Hey! Don't talk about me like I'm not here!'

Goten lifted his shoulders. 'I'm not judging you. After all, I'm only _half_ Saiyajin. Doesn't affect my powers though!' He smirked at Inu-Yasha's continued defensiveness.

'I don't know what "Saiyajin" is,' Kagome said over her tea, her tone sympathetic, 'but you must have been bullied for being different, right?'

Goten grinned and shook his head. 'Nope.'

'How about you fight me and we'll see whose powers are most affected!' Inu-Yasha groused, flexing a clawed hand and making audible crack sounds with his knuckles.

Goten sprang to his feet with his arms raised. 'I've been itching for a fight. But I guess practising on you will do for now.'

Trunks reached around to give his friend a high-five and Inu-Yasha rocketed from his crouched position like a cannonball.

'No! No fighting!' Kagome held an arm out as a barrier to them both, her eyes on Inu-Yasha. 'That isn't polite. We're guests.'

'How about you stop telling me what to do, alright?' he snapped, pushing past Kagome to lean over the table, making the china on the table jitter.

'Right! He can think for himself!' Ron roared encouragingly.

'Well if you did the right thing, I wouldn't have to tell you anything at all!' Kagome yelled, ignoring Ron.

Hermione (who was deliberately seated at a distance from Ron) nodded in agreement.

Kagome continued, 'Where would you even be without me? You keep acting impulsively to the point of just being foolish, acting first and thinking afterwards—not to mention you're _very_ insensitive at times.'

'Oh, well _that's_ just the worst,' Hermione interjected and glared at Ron emphatically.

Inu-Yasha pushed off from the table. 'Well, if everything is so _wrong_ with me, why don't you go to Kouga then?' He turned to Ron, now engaging him in conversation. 'He's this scrawny wolf demon asshole she can't stop flirting with…'

Ron nodded in interest. 'There's another guy? Hmph. Of course.' He gazed obliquely at Hermione, who went red with anger.

'Yeah,' Inu-Yasha continued, 'tell them _all about_ him, Kagome.'

Boiling with rage, Kagome screamed, 'INU-YASHA! SIT!'

Enthralled, everyone watched as Inu-Yasha's face, for the second time that afternoon, slammed into the ground with a dull thud. Sakura and Chibiusa screamed in surprise. Several of the teenagers stood up to glance over the table. The half-dog demon was immobilized. Chi-Tun started yapping noisily in confusion.

'Blimey!' Ron uttered.

'Fascinating,' Hermione said, stroking her chin.

'It's an enchanted necklace he can't take off,' Kagome explained, looking at Hermione. 'So "that" happens whenever I say—'

Inu-Yasha shot up from his place on the ground in a cartoonish fashion, his face raw as he screamed, 'DON'T SAY IT _AGAIN!_ '

Kagome rolled her eyes. 'Don't be stupid. I wasn't going to actually say it, obviously.'

Hermione watched their exchange, her mind whirring. 'Well, that's quite a useful bit of magic you have there.'

'See, just like that,' Kagome said with emphasis, and smiled at Hermione's sympathetic nod. 'He's always jumping to conclusions, so I find myself using it from time to time.'

'Oh my! So bothersome, I know all about that "jumping to conclusions" thing.' Hermione sighed and glowered sideways at Ron. 'But what can you do? Sometimes _violence_ is the only way they'll listen.'

Ron sneered over folded arms and turned to Inu-Yasha. 'You know what I think? I think she has control issues. You need to stand up for yourself.'

Inu-Yasha's eyes lit up with realisation. 'It's about time, isn't it?'

'Oh hush!' Hermione said waspishly and stomped over to Ron. _'Control issues?'_

'That's right!' Ron yelled, sizing her up. 'That's _precisely_ what I said it is.'

Draco looked like he was trying very hard to restrain a fit of laughter, while Hotaru and Chibiusa stared, dumbstruck. Trunks and Goten watched with sick fascination, and Syaoran stared hard into his tea. Yukito watched the whole scene cautiously spooning dessert in his mouth, and Touya gaped in horror, his right eye twitching.

Harry shook his head, groaning in disgust. 'Oh, I can't even believe this is actually happening right now.'

Meiling soothed a shivering Chi-Tun, and exchanged a mournful look with Sakura. 'Please...somebody, we need to stop this. I can't take it anymore.'

Suddenly, Inu-Yasha stuck his head out and sniffed loudly through his nose. 'I smell a cat.' He dropped to his knees and started pawing the table cloth. Diana shot out from under the table and started scratching at his face, hissing shrilly. Inu-Yasha snarled and tried to swat at the grey cat. Shortly, Kero also sprang from under the table and in a flourish of feathers and light, transformed into his giant lion form and forced the table over, knocking the desserts, cutlery and tea set onto the ground. Yukito stared forlornly at his fallen dessert, now smeared with dirt, and instantly transformed into Yue. Touya gaped fishily at the scene.

'Whoa! Sesshomeru!' Kagome gasped.

'I'm Yue,' Yue stated tonelessly.

Inu-Yasha wrestled Cerberos on the ground, with Diana yowling and crawling on his head. 'Really, Kagome?' he muttered. 'Every tall guy with an angry face and long white hair looks the same to you?'

'This isn't anger,' Yue deadpanned. 'This is a look of indifference with a subtle hint of self-righteous loathing for others beneath me.'

'Same thing!' Inu-Yasha roared, partially muffled by a mouthful of Cerberos' wing feathers.

'My, you must have been having fun all this time,' Hotaru whispered to Chibiusa.

Diana catapulted off of Inu-Yasha's face and into Chibiusa's arms, leaving Cerberos to solider on. 'That guy freaks me out!' She then peered impishly at Kagome. 'Oh and by the way, doesn't the dog demon also look kind of like Dad?'

Chibiusa nodded, gaze shifting between Inu-Yasha and Yue, and recalling Artemis' human form. 'Eerily so. But less angry.'

Yue's head turned suddenly, his voice monotone, 'This isn't anger.'

'GEDDOOOFFFFF!' Inu-Yasha wailed.

Yue stared coolly, folding a tuft of hair behind his ear. 'Oh, you mean him.'

'GUESS WHAT EVERYONE!' Tomoyo trilled, drawing their attention mid-brawl to the ornate silver tray of iced cupcakes in her hands. 'MORE SWEETS!'

'Oh, did you say more?' Yue had suddenly returned to his human form, Yukito.

Trunks, Goten, and Ron peeled their eyes away, looking over at the cupcakes in sudden anticipation. Cerberos lifted his head, salivating, allowing drips of saliva to land on a glowering Inu-Yasha who was pinned under him.

'Kero!' Sakura exclaimed and pulled her large guardian by the scruff. 'You ruined the table setting!'

Cerberos looked guiltily at the overturned table and littered trappings of dessert. His eyes glistened with tears. 'My … pudding ...'

Sakura rolled her eyes, surprisingly calm for all the mess they had made. 'Well, you can't say my birthday wasn't a bash.'

'April Fool's!' Draco said, offbeat.

Touya rubbed his face tiredly. 'This is why we live in another country.'

After everyone helped to clean up the mess, Touya and Yukito said goodbye (returning to Sakura's parent's home where they were staying), not wanting to interrupt the 'young people'. The remaining guests then moved into the living room to watch Sakura open presents, which improved their moods immeasurably. The gift from Touya and Yukito was a large, over-sized pink stuffed bear with a bow, as Sakura had always been fond of them. She had requested no gifts but the household had purchased a bouquet of Nadeshiko flowers (reminiscent of her mother), and a pair of jade earrings from Syaoran. Chibiusa and Hotaru had bought her a silver bracelet with heart charms, and she received talismans (for good-luck) from Kagome's family shrine.

'Thank you everyone,' Sakura said happily, earrings shining in her ears, and bracelet and talismans gleaming at her wrists as she hugged the bear appreciatively. She grinned at Kagome who returned it with a warm smile, and Inu-Yasha, who smirked shyly.

'It's no problem,' Kagome replied. 'If it hadn't been for you, we wouldn't have retrieved that shard.'

'Speaking of "that shard",' Syaoran piped up, 'I recall you all said something about this Shikon jewel. What was that all about?'

'To make a long story short, the Shikon Jewel has been the source of a lot of our problems,' Inu-Yasha explained offhandedly, his arms folded as he sat cross-legged on the floor by Kagome's feet. 'It was shattered to pieces, but even a single fragment is coveted for its power. We're collecting every last one, but the half-demon Naraku is too. And since he's one of our many other HUGE problems, the more shards _we_ have and the less _he_ has, the better. Also we want him _dead_.'

Chibiusa jerked up suddenly, feeling a chill like ice-cubes sliding down her back at the mention of the name.

'Naraku?' Sakura breathed, lowering her bear. 'He attacked us that night. He was controlling the demon.' She turned to Kagome. 'Right?'

'Yeah well, it's what he does,' Kagome sighed. 'He's always controlling demons and people, having them do the things he doesn't do himself. He's a master manipulator, always lying, framing and tricking people into turning against those they love, all for his own pleasure.'

'Feh! It makes me angry thinking about it!' Inu-Yasha growled, crossing his arms. 'Hides behind disguises, hides behind minions. Even when he shows up, he runs away like a true coward before you can lay a finger on him.'

'Speaking of which,' said Kagome, stroking her chin. 'We haven't seen him around in the Feudal Era lately, have we, Inu-Yasha?'

Inu-Yasha gave a slow, ponderous nod. 'Yeah. It sure has been quiet, hasn't it?'

The room fell silent, and it was clear for many of them their thoughts were of Katsune, an innocent girl who likely died, also because of Naraku.

Chibiusa glanced at Hotaru's hands. Hotaru grasped fistfuls of skirt, and her face was taut with anxiousness. Something was bothering her. 'Hotaru?' Chibiusa asked gently.

Hotaru looked at her with frightened eyes. The others turned to look as Hotaru suddenly got up, bowing and muttering a swift apology as she turned and left for inside. Chibiusa jumped to her feet and followed after her.

'Hotaru,' Chibiusa exclaimed. 'You need to tell me what's going on!'

Hotaru relented.

'Princess ... Chibiusa, I wasn't honest last night. There is a reason why I came.'


	7. The Ominous Mark in the Sky

**Chapter 7: The Ominous Mark in the Sky**

Amid the continued celebration outside and the mess caused by Inu-Yasha, Diana and Cerberos, Meiling noticed her puppy was in need of grooming. She headed inside, moving towards her bedroom door to retrieve his dog comb. However, she heard soft murmurs just past the open door and paused.

'No!' she heard Chibiusa wail, slightly muffled, perhaps by her hands. 'This is like the last time. The Black Moon Clan. When I was so disillusioned that I transformed into that… that monster, and almost destroyed everything.'

Hotaru's voice replied, 'No, Princess. It is nothing like that time. It is far more sinister than that. A man draped in a baboon hide came to the kingdom, proclaiming himself a champion of the former Earth Kingdom.'

Meiling gasped softly and leaned closer. A man in a baboon hide?

Hotaru sighed heavily. 'But now that I have heard your friends, Inu-Yasha and Kagome, speak about it — I am certain that _this_ Naraku and _that_ man are one and the same.'

After a brief silence, Meiing heard Chibiusa speak in a wavering tone, 'What has he done?'

'Well, months passed as he served in the King's battalion. But he was actually manipulating the courtiers, the guards, even the Sailor Senshi, to turn against the King and Queen. He has many convinced that the cycle of their rule is not "natural", that they should have died long ago and abdicated the throne to more mortal beings. He's convinced everyone that with the help of the Shikon Jewel, he can help them start a new way of life. But it wasn't just that. He's managed to cause a rift among the Senshi, the Sailor Quartet, and even the King and Queen have turned against each other.'

'The Senshi? Mother and Father?!' Chibiusa stammered.

'The Queen wasn't able to maintain her strength, due to the grief, and she...she's encased in the Crystal.'

'It's...it's like before. I couldn't help!' Chibiusa whispered frantically. 'Why didn't anyone come to get me?'

'Your place is here,' Hotaru said gently. 'Your battle isn't over.'

Meiling gazed through the gap in the door and saw as Hotaru held Chibiusa's shuddering form.

'Is this why Elios pushed me away — to shield me from this?' Chibiusa choked and looked up. 'The reason that up until now I have not seen any of you?'

Hotaru's eyes softened. 'He is one of the few that Naraku has not managed to manipulate. He is currently trying to negotiate with the King to rejoin him to the Queen. But it's not looking hopeful.'

'And Sailor Pluto?' Chibiusa queried.

'I have not been able to contact her for days.'

Chibiusa leaned over and clutched her face. 'I saw her months and months ago. She looked well. Happy.' She sat up and wiped her face. 'Oh, Hotaru, I'm so sorry you've had to deal with all this alone.' She burst into fresh tears. 'It's my fault! I sent him to the Kingdom, Hotaru!'

Hotaru shook her head slowly. 'No, it isn't. Never!'

'I have to go back,' Chibiusa said, standing shakily. 'I have to make it right.'

'I can't let you do that,' Hotaru said firmly, clutching Chibiusa's shoulders.

'I can't do anything from _here_!' Chibiusa cried. 'I can't just let him hurt everyone!'

'Princess, you are the future of the Kingdom. You may not believe it, but you're safer here. And...the battle you fight here is greatly instrumental to the war in Crystal Tokyo.'

Chibiusa's eyes were awash once more with tears as she sobbed hysterically into Hotaru's shoulder. 'Hotaru, I'm so...so sorry!'

Meiling couldn't believe it. She had to tell the others. She stole away from the door and bounded down the stairs.

* * *

Kagome and Inu-Yasha bade farewell, and Tomoyo and Harry proceeded to clear dishes away in the kitchen.

'Wow, that Inu-Yasha,' Harry said as he stacked dishes into the cupboard above the sink. 'I think we've just met someone with a bigger ego and penchant for starting fights than Malfoy, himself.'

Tomoyo glanced at him. 'Well, I don't know. He seemed to at least have a thoughtful side to him. You can tell that personality is just jealousy and immaturity. Deep down he cares for Kagome. They're young anyway. In time I'm sure he'll work that out.'

Harry pulled a face. 'So then, he's basically like Syaoran.'

Tomoyo's eyes lit up. 'Hm. When you put it that way.'

At that moment Hermione passed in and out of the kitchen to grab a can of Cola Pop Fizz, adding her two cents. 'Nope. He's definitely an idiot. Like Ron.'

Flustered, Ron stalked after her. 'Hey! I heard my name! She was saying something about me, wasn't she? Wasn't she? Don't lie for her!'

He didn't wait for an answer as he left the kitchen.

Tomoyo frowned. 'This is the worst I've seen them. Have they broken up or are they just arguing?'

Harry sighed deeply and swore under his breath. 'No idea, but I hope this ends soon.'

* * *

Meiling found Sakura and Syaoran and begged them to help her round the others so they could all gather in the training room, except for Chibiusa and Hotaru. There, Meiling divulged the exchange she had heard between Chibiusa and Hotaru: how Naraku had somehow travelled to Chibiusa's home, and how he had effectively shattered loyalties and caused a war. They discussed feverishly if he was working with Karasu. After all, the recent attack by his demons had been consistent with their previous confrontations with Karasu's minions. But why Crystal Tokyo?

But then Trunks recalled Goku's words: the scourge of Lord Voldemort was indeed spreading to other worlds, like a fetid, contagious virus. He then wondered, vocally, if his world was the next target. Strange things had already occurred, but no one had attacked. Yet.

He and Goten exchanged a deep frown.

'Nah,' Goten said, but with some uncertainty tingeing his voice. 'Dad and the others are more than capable of protecting our world. Strongest guy in the universe, remember?' He scratched his nose. 'But...well, if Chibiusa's home has been infiltrated, and no one's fighting...'

Goten was right, Trunks thought furiously. There wasn't anyone capable enough to protect Chibiusa's...Princess Small Lady Serenity's...home. Trunks steered his friend away from the group as the others discussed the situation desperately.

They slipped out of the training room and out into the corridor until they were standing in the front garden, the grass soft and cushiony between their bare toes

'Remember when you said that there are no Dragon Balls in other worlds?' Trunks whispered. 'Goten, you're a genius!'

'My homeroom teacher doesn't think so,' Goten sniffed.

Trunks rubbed his hands together thoughtfully, his heart tripping over itself in determination. 'Goten, we can save Chibiusa's home.'

Goten looked overjoyed. 'Really? That's good...but how?'

Trunks stopped and clapped a hand on Goten's shoulder. ' _You_ can go back to our world, go to Planet Namek with one of Mom's spaceships, then you can find all the Dragon Balls, then you can wish to save Crystal Tokyo.'

Goten shouldered Trunks' hand away and stared at him incredulously. _'You want me to leave?'_

Trunks nodded and grinned. 'But don't worry, I'll stay safe. When the battle is won here, I'll see you back home and it'll be like old times. I promise we'll train together again. I'll even let you fly one of my cars.'

Goten shook his head, his face twisted in anger. 'Don't you understand? I can't just up and leave. Daffodil— '

'Goten, this is actually serious!' Trunks yelled. 'People are in danger! Do you know how selfish you sound?'

' _Don't_ tell me about being selfish, Trunks! You're always talking down to me like I'm a fool! You know who's selfish? YOU ARE. And asking me to run off and get the Dragon Balls for a girl who already has a boyfriend, who you have _zero_ chance with? _That's_ foolish! Oh yeah, funny enough, what about everyone back home? Screw them, right? Use the wishes now and then there are no Dragon Balls in case someone actually dies there. Real _selfless_ , buddy.' By the time Goten had said it all he was panting heavily, out of breath.

Trunks threw back his head in exasperation. 'Oh, come on! No one is going to _die_. You're just making excuses.'

'Wow. Did you even _hear_ anything else I just said?' Goten breathed sharply through his nose. 'No. We're not debating this. When this is all over, I'm staying.' He glared at Trunks. 'If you think your plan is so brilliant, why not do so yourself? That way we're both happy.'

Trunks growled in frustration and pulled out his Phoenix Fighter badge. 'Because of this!' He held it out to his friend, his voice trembling. 'I was destined to be here, in this place. But you? You stole my mother's machine and came here on your own! Yes, I heard you — maybe I'm a selfish fool, but ...' His voice suddenly cracked as he lowered his eyes. 'This is the least I can do for her. This is all I can do for her.'

Goten stared hard at the badge clasped in Trunks' fist. His Adam's apple bobbed, and his eyes glazed with tears. 'I can't leave, Trunks, I _love her._ ' His shoulders quaked as he cried. 'You know how I feel, right? I just want to stay and just _be_ with Daffodil.'

Trunks clenched his jaw, pained by the tears that spilled down his best friend's cheeks. He glanced blearily up towards the second story of the house, where Chibiusa's bedroom window reflected the late afternoon sun like a square-cut ruby. He turned back to Goten and pulled the other boy close. Goten cried into his chest.

'Goten. I understand,' he said quietly. 'I do know … I love her...'

He felt a burst of happiness at finally realising it, like he had triumphed, finally, knowing at last what love was. But this elevated feeling was slowly replaced by a deep sorrow.

Goten nodded against his chest. 'It hurts,' he muttered.

'It does,' Trunks agreed. 'I want things to be different for us. But ... it's impossible. You and I are from a different world to them. Our being here is already against nature. By staying here, we're just aiding the intentions of the enemy, of Karasu, to bastardise the concepts of time and space. It's our job to right the balance, and restore peace. This is just a _huge,_ crazy burden, and we didn't ask for it. I'd rather have stayed hanging out with you back home playing video games.' He chuckled darkly. 'But that's not how it panned out. We have to make this sacrifice.'

Goten pulled away and snivelled. 'I...I get it. I just _hate this._ ' He grimaced, waterlogged. 'It's just so _unfair._ You shouldn't have had to do any of this.'

Trunks nodded weakly. 'I resent it. But at the same time, I don't regret it. I've gotten to see so many amazing things, and met some pretty amazing people.' He smiled sadly. 'But we don't belong here. At some point, we'll have to go home.'

Goten rolled his shoulders and stared into the sky. 'It's probably better if I leave now. It'll...it'll make things easier.' He clapped Trunks limply on the shoulder. 'If...If she swings by, can you tell her?'

Trunks felt an ache in his chest for his friend. He knew that both of their hearts were breaking. But this was how it had to be. Trunks nodded weakly. 'Yeah.'

Goten then turned, making his way inside where the others were to bid his final farewell.

'Wait — Goten!' Trunks called.

Goten twisted his head, regarding him with curious eyes.

Trunks ran a hand along the back of his neck, half-smiling. 'Er, Goten. I'm sorry for always bossing you around and such. I've been insensitive. I'm sorry.'

Goten waved a hand and returned his grin. 'No problem, buddy. I'll see you again soon. Kick You-Know-Who's _you-know-what_ for all of us.'

Trunks chuckled. 'You know I will. But you too. Don't let your guard down. Keep training.'

And with a final salute, Goten turned, entering the large house, intent to leave it for the last time.

* * *

Chibiusa shrieked. This could not be real. Could it? Crystal Tokyo was under attack? Again?

She pummelled her bed with all the might, strength and frustration she could muster. No! Not again! How can this be? How could the kind of wicked enemies she tried for so long to fight those many years ago be back again? All those efforts of the sailor senshi— the suffering, destruction, tears and bloodshed, were all in vain! Yet the worst feeling in the world was that guilt, knowing that she was the one who had set Naraku on Crystal Tokyo, out of a pure desire to save herself. She had put everyone she loved in danger, just like she had done so many years ago when she had stolen the Silver Crystal.

She held her hands to her face, and then yanked angrily at her hair. She punched a fist into her hand, thinking through it. No! Things were different. She was _not_ that weak and powerless soldier-in-training from before. Most importantly, she would not allow the kingdom to be destroyed, nor the planet Earth.

'I am going to fight! Not just for Crystal Tokyo, but for Earth. I am going defeat Karasu!'

* * *

The next morning the household had noted that Hotaru had left without saying goodbye. Given the seriousness of their situation, it was understandable. Chibiusa seemed to steal herself away in the backyard as she practised flips and high kicks. They did not speak to her about what Meiling had overheard; she didn't want it to seem like she had deliberately betrayed her to the others.

The group mostly felt the absence of Goten, particularly Meiling who confided that the house was suddenly quieter, duller, less cheerful. Neither she or anyone else really understood why he had left so suddenly, but it had seemed urgent so they had chosen not to question it. She and Draco had become notably close recently and spent time together between training and meals just talking. When he smiled at her, it was genuine, but sometimes he would stare into space for lengths of time, and she didn't know what was going on in his mind.

Ron and Hermione were still not speaking to each other, but it was apparent that neither, when prompted, could recall what had started the feud.

Tomoyo and Harry were the only ones really who could maintain a semblance of sanity, though Harry had taken to occasional deep sighing. Tomoyo additionally busied herself with marathon sewing sessions, knowing she needed costumes that would eventually be worn, perhaps sooner than they anticipated. She was also determined to film _everything._

With the revelation about Azkaban on their minds, Hermione, Sakura and Syaoran attempted to strategise by planning for possible confrontations with vampires, werewolves, Death Eaters and Dementors. It meant creating new coordinated attacks that incorporated multiple strengths to enhance their attacks spells. It also meant perfecting their Patronuses. Harry, having used it studiously since his third year at Hogwarts, was the most experienced to provide tutelage. While Sakura and Hermione excelled, Ron, Draco and even Syaoran failed to produce a strong Patronus.

While the others practised their Patronuses, Trunks walked over to the other side of the training room where his and Goten's futons lay sprawled on the floor. Trunks stared at the empty futons, slightly frazzled. It had been a week and he already missed his friend. He knew that he'd see him again, but he couldn't help but feel that familiar feeling of being outside of this household, like he had no friends. He swung his eyes to a small table in the corner and spied a small leather pouch. He loosened the drawstring and upended the contents onto his open palm: five plump Senzu beans!

'Goten, you're a winner,' Trunks muttered thankfully and slid them back inside. He then pocketed the pouch and resumed training.

Kero and Diana watched proudly, albeit forlornly in the corner as the Phoenix Fighters trained vigorously. It wouldn't be long now.

* * *

Their recent correspondence with Ginny confirmed that in second year when she had been possessed by Tom Riddle's diary, there had been nothing mentioning Renona. However, in the absence of this information Hermione received a confidential list from Percy, detailing dated records of Death Eaters alleged to be under the Imperius Curse, as well as an archived Daily Prophet article detailing Renona's academic achievements, identified as a future leader, paired with a black and white photo of Renona and Tom Riddle, posing in sweeping robes and gleaming badges as Head Boy and Head Girl.

Tomoyo, Harry, Syaoran and Sakura all stared at the photo, horrified. In an instant they recognised her as the woman they had seen in their dreams.

'That's her,' Harry whispered, grasping the photo so tightly his knuckles turned white.

'She's the one from my dream,' Tomoyo uttered in horror.

Harry nodded weakly and stared at Sakura and Syaoran, who had turned very pale.

Sakura didn't say anything, how she had seen Draco beside the same woman in a vision on New Year's Eve. She had an ominous feeling, like a ball of barbed wire in her stomach that scratched and gouged at her insides. This photo confirmed for them at last that Renona _was_ Karasu. She looked at them all determinedly.

'Well, we know now. Now we prepare.'

They nodded in the face of an oncoming battle approaching like a speeding train, and they didn't have enough time to clear the tracks.

Meiling frowned and glanced at her watch. 'It's only five. Why is it so dark all of a sudden?' She walked over to the window, drawing back its curtains. She then shrieked, 'GUYS! COME QUICK!'

The group all rushed over to the window and peered into the sky.

Like a horrific apparition, the Dark Mark was etched across the heavens, obscuring what should have been a beautiful sunset. But there was something different about it. There was the skull with its jaw hinged open in silent laughter, but instead of a snake winding in one eye socket and out of the neck cavity, there was a pair of large, jagged wings stretched across the sky, like a demonic embrace.

'What is that?!' Tomoyo gasped.

Ron stared grimly. 'It's a Dark Mark, used by Death Eaters wherever they gather, or commit a murder.' He gulped thickly as he looked shakily back at the others, his crystal blue eyes watery and pupils fully dilated. 'But it looks different. The...the wings.'

'They're raven's wings!' Hermione cried.

'Follow the feathers,' Chibiusa muttered, recalling the breadcrumb clue they had been given way back in November.

Syaoran turned stiffly. 'They want us to go somewhere. But where?'

Sakura consciously grabbed Syaoran's hand and squeezed.

'If it's up in the sky, others have surely noticed it too,' Tomoyo said and rushed to turn on the television.

The television flickered to life and flashed a live broadcast of helicopters that circled towards the Dark Mark, while a female news reporter in the bottom corner of the screen spoke in professional tones about a herd of diseased patients (with bubble text above the broadcast titled 'ZOMBIES IN JAPAN?!'), likened to "zombies", that were attacking residents of Tomoeda. Everyone was instructed to stay indoors and bar entries into the home until further notice.

'Zombies aren't real,' Meiling snapped at the television. She then turned to Hermione. 'Right?'

The main broadcast then shifted to another scene, this time, overhanging the scene of a mass of bodies scattering across a crowded street, knocking over garbage cans, swarming effortlessly over cars.

Ron stepped towards the television, his freckles glaringly clear against his pallid skin. 'The Inferi.'

'They're...they're killing people and turning them into Inferi,' Sakura uttered tearfully.

Meiling turned to regard Draco; he stared at the screen, the light flickering off his widened eyes. Her eyes flicked down to his hands; he held one hand just over the wrist where she had recently spotted the tattoo. 'Draco?' she said slowly, but was interrupted by the changed tone of the female reporter...

 _'Harry Potter, Sakura Kinomoto,'_ she spoke monotonously, her mouth moving like the hinged trap of a ventriloquist dummy. _'Come to the graveyard. The longer you wait, the larger the Army of the Dead becomes.'_ The broadcast suddenly cut off and gave way to static.

'The Muggle reporter is one of them!' Ron roared.

Draco stepped forward, his expression grim. 'She's being controlled. It must be the Imperius curse.'

'Why do you suppose that, Malfoy?' Harry asked, exchanging a suspicious look with Syaoran.

Draco shot back an icy glare, eyes trained on Harry's lightning bolt-shaped scar. 'Suppose? Even you should know something so _straightforward_ , Potter. Or did that _Killing Curse_ not hit that hollow skull of yours _hard_ enough?'

The words struck a nerve.

Fuming like a raging beast, Harry snatched at Draco's shirt collar. Draco slipped just out of his reach and withdrew his wand sharply, looming over Harry as he was several inches taller.

'We were never taught these Curses at Hogwarts, arsehole!' Harry spat, indifferent to the wand pointed in his face. 'So how are you so good at recognizing them, then? Don't tell me it's 'cause of some boldfaced lie … like your _Voldemort-worshipping_ father truly experienced the Imperius Curse?!'

Syaoran snarled at Draco, 'You knew about this, didn't you? Because you're one of them. A Death Eater!'

Meiling and Tomoyo gasped audibly.

Draco glowered, an odd twitch to his stretched thin lips. He looked as though he had something he wanted to say but thought twice about it.

'Enough! Is this really the time for your senseless bickering?' Hermione shouted, gesturing towards Sakura who was entranced as she stared despairingly at the screen, taking shuddering breaths and hysterical gulps.

'No … they're killing everyone. _I won't let them get away with this!_ ' Sakura screamed and turned to the others, tears pouring down her cheeks. 'Everyone, we have to go. NOW!'

* * *

Tomoyo had wasted no effort on their battle costumes, the project she had committed to in those feverish weeks. Each were given a cloak and pointed hat of midnight blue trimmed with each member's Phoenix Fighter badge colour and a dash of decorative stars, moons and suns. The familial habit with which they donned the costumes almost took the morbid edge off the reality: they could die this day. Kero and Diana were to stay behind and protect the house, in case enemies attempted to attack the stronghold.

Sakura, Harry and Draco impressed upon Meiling and Tomoyo to remain in the house, but the two girls refused, insisting that they could be extra sets of eyes and ears. Trunks then offered to ensure their safety. With this agreed, they set out as the sun set in the sky, the Dark Mark with raven wings arching ominously across the heavens. It was a nightmare come to life.

'You know, it's a funny thing,' Ron said conversationally. 'Over these past eight months we've faced witches, androids, demons, aliens, and all kinds of monsters. I remember being scared so many times but for some reason, the fear I feel now is much worse.'

After a moment of reflection, Harry said, 'You forgot one other thing. We faced Voldemort at Hogwarts. And I faced him more times than most. All I can say about that is it never gets easier, no matter how many times you face him.'

The others nodded grimly. The roads were empty, the streets eerily quiet.

'Even still,' Ron continued in a light tone, a skip in his step, 'that time we faced him pales in comparison to _all of Azkaban_ at our throats along with whoever Karasu is. I'm actually shaking right now, that's how scared I am.' Yet his tone was so frivolously flighty that it unnerved the others.

Harry seemed to understand the most and patted Ron on the shoulder as they continued to walk boldly down the street in a cloaked throng. 'It's the anticipation. When we don't expect it, the adrenaline just takes over — but now? Now we know we're walking right into their trap. And that's _all_ we know. We don't know what they've got waiting for us so all we can do is imagine the worst.'

Ron shrugged and smiled, too enthusiastically, at Harry. 'Is that it, then? The known unknown?' He shook his head lightly and then pulled a face. 'You know Harry, what I was thinking? Everything could end today. We might really die this time.'

Syaoran pushed between them, slinging his arms around their shoulders in a gesture of solidarity. 'Well, I don't know about you, but I'm not ready to die. Not yet, and not to a bunch of low-life criminals like the Death Eaters. You guys are already talking like this? After all the training we did? After all we've been through?' He pushed off of them gently and slapped their backs. 'We're the strongest, most loyal team there is. We'll fight and we'll win and come out on top like we always do!'

Harry inclined his head to look at Syaoran past his broad brim wizard hat. 'You say that Syaoran, but you feel it too, don't you? This mad, sickening feeling? That woman in the picture— that Renona, that Karasu— who is helping Voldemort, now? We _all_ saw her in visions! That can't be a coincidence. It isn't a coincidence. I'm ready to fight, and it's one thing to do what we must, but...' He glanced ahead. 'Don't pretend as though we can really win so easily.'

They walked on in silence, their shadows stretching across the scene like spilt ink. After what seemed like a death march they came to the edge of the Tomoeda cemetery that bordered off a small church, its pearlescent domed roof and golden cross almost offensive in the wake of their potential demise.

Sakura and Syaoran squeezed hands briefly and then parted to either side of the group.

Chibi Moon and Trunks' glanced at one another, expressionless.

'Why hello there,' they heard a woman's cackled greeting as black smoke swirled around them and materialised into a slim robed woman with slick black hair and maddened, dark eyes. She stared piercingly to the centre of their group and curled a finger suggestively. 'Come, my nephew.'

They glanced around frantically and all eyes landed on Draco, his face drawn, pale eyes so wide and bulging they could see veins. When they again took in their surroundings, there were now ten, twenty, _forty_ robed figures standing all around them in a circle, wands raised.

'Draco?' Meiling breathed, her voice scratchy and hoarse.

* * *

Bellatrix Lestrange grinned maniacally as Draco's limbs began to twitch violently. His wand hand jerked up suddenly, as though he were a marionette puppet. His other arm jerked downward and he gasped in pain as he turned mechanically to face the others. His wizard hat fell askew on his head, and he gazed fearfully into Meiling's eyes. Like a toy soldier he marched stiff-legged out of their group and stood beside Bellatrix, his pale eyes bulging like moons as he clenched his jaw.

'Why don't we play?' Bellatrix cackled and gripped Draco's shoulder tightly, possessively.

The first row of Death Eaters snickered and whispered like a cacophony of giant praying mantises rubbing their claws together, preparing to strike. This sent chills of urgency through the Phoenix Fighters as they raised their wands and threw a rainbow of attacks spells. Just as the attack spells broke into the first line of Death Eaters, they immediately drew back in a whirl of black cloaks, like a ring of matadors signalling a herd of bulls to advance, but rather than bulls, there was a sudden deluge of Inferi: a grotesque, frenzied swarm of bone-thin, chalk-white corpses crawling over each other, pitted eyes and lipless mouths agape as they advanced on the Phoenix Fighters.

'GET BEHIND ME!'

The Phoenix Fighters stepped into a pyramid formation as Trunks led the advance, throwing the folds of his cloak back to release great blasts of ki energy. The energy rocketed out of his palms in searing, abrupt bursts, easily incinerating the pressing swarm of naked, dead, animated bodies. Sakura assisted at the back by casting Shield to ward off the straggling Inferi at their backs. The others cast attack spells between Trunks' energy blasts, destroying the Inferi briskly like pulling out a patch of weeds.

The attack seemed to go on for a long time, but Trunks continued the assault in confidence, not a drop of sweat glistening on his brow. Suddenly the Inferi were no more, but the Death Eaters had vanished.

The Phoenix Fighters stared around nervously, wands poised, breath escaping in shallow bursts of adrenaline. It had grown dark, the only visible light emitting from their wand tips, lighting up the impressions of tombstones in the distance. It had also grown foggy, as thick wisps snaked lazily around their feet.

'It just got really cold!' Meiling whispered frantically to Tomoyo, who, contrary to the situation, had her camera pressed to her face.

Suddenly a line of hooded figures, like solid shadows, loomed out of the fog and into their wand light. The air around them was chilled as ice crusted along the Pheonix Fighter's hats and cloaks and their breaths escaped in puffs of mist.

'Dementors!' Harry spluttered.

It would have been so easy just to surrender, to let the cold, skeletal hands grip them on the arms, drag them down into the cold and dark and quiet.

'TRUNKS!' Chibi Moon screamed.

Trunks stumbled back, his pointed hat slipping off his head. He shook his head slightly as he fell into Syaoran and Ron's arms, and they dragged him into the centre of the group where Meiling gave him chocolate to recover, as Harry had instructed.

Hermione and Harry took the lead. Together they summoned their Patronuses into glorious, dazzling life, Harry's iridescent stag and Hermione's gleaming otter swooping into a double-helix formation and then fanning out in a shimmering white array, magic dashing out in brilliant streaks. The Dementors swayed and danced around the Patronuses, but there seemed to be too many for the two summons to attack them all. Ron, Sakura and Syaoran tried to summon their own but they were not nearly strong enough to remain solid for more than a few seconds. As a secondary manoeuvre, Syaoran cast Lightning, Ron threw attack spells, Sakura summoned the Light and Chibi Moon cast moon power.

Seemingly recovered, Trunks shot into the air and blasted several of the Dementors, some becoming wisps of smoke and shredded rags as they were destroyed. However, they seemed to affect him the most out of all of them as he shook his head again and slowly hovered to the ground.

'You okay?' Harry asked quickly as his stag Patronus herded away the final Dementor.

Trunks nodded dizzily and stood on his feet and unclipped his cloak. He gave Tomoyo an apologetic smile and cracked his knuckles. 'What else do they have?'

 _'Oh!_ '

Bellatrix's voice crooned from the fog and darkness.

 _'It appears that we have a formidable player! Well, shall we see how you fare against your darkest fear?!'_

It was suddenly silent. Deathly still.

Then there was a storm of demonic laughter, and the Phoenix Fighters pressed in on each other, back to back, wands and fists raised, cloaks billowing in a sudden gust of warm air. The Phoenix Fighters were suddenly separated with a vibrating force into an uneven scatter. Just as they desperately tried to gain their feet, Tomoyo's strangled cry broke the silence.

'NO! PLEASE, NO!'

She dropped her camera and clutched at her face, tears streaming down her cheeks.

'SAKURA, NO _!'_

Sakura tried to reach for her friend, but as though she were overcome by a possessive force, she too started to quake and slip to the ground, her wand tilting limply in her hands. 'I can't, I won't,' Sakura muttered through a haze of tears.

Like a line of dominoes, each of the Phoenix Fighters consecutively dropped to their knees, eyes bulging as they clawed at the air, shrieking, shuddering with trepidation.

 _'NOOOO! SPIDERS! GERROFF!'_ Ron roared, gripping his cloak roughly.

Harry broke out of his fear and glanced at his friend and then around at the others that were all several feet away from each other. They were not more Dementors. When he glanced at the glowing, unsolid forms, he could see them transitioning from one vague creature to the next: an impression of a large spider, a shadow of a demonic clown and then a Dementor. He looked over and saw Syaoran had realised as well. They nodded at each other and cast _Riddikulus_. The others stopped struggling and slowly raised to their feet.

A slow, echoing clap emitted from the dark as Bellatrix and the crowd of Death Eaters strolled forward into the light. Bellatrix stopped clapping and smiled madly at her nephew, who stood as still and as rigid as a nutcracker. 'Oh, what is the matter, Draco? Aren't you going to fight them?'

Draco made a keening sound in his throat, his wand quivering in his grip. Bellatrix shook her head gently and raised her own wand, flicking it towards the Phoenix Fighters. She mouthed something, her lips forming a small "o" as she finished. Draco jerked violently and his body pitched forward as he was thrown by an invisible force. His wand rose and fired a streak of red light in their direction. Sakura and Syaoran leapt out of the way just as the magic struck the ground, leaving a patch of embers and blackened earth.

'He's under the Imperius Curse!' Sakura cried out at the others. 'We can't attack him!'

'Aim to disarm!' Syaoran instructed.

The others moved hesitantly, casting defensive and shielding spells to repel the curses expelled from Draco's wand, their ears ringing with the derisive laughter of Bellatrix.

Sakura summoned the Freeze Card and encased Draco's body in a thick, twisted tree of ice. He hissed against the control of the Imperius Curse, his wand sparking with angry flares of magic.

Hermione cried out in surprise as she and Ron dodged several spells. They swiftly ducked onto the ground as a levelled procession of "whooshes" crowed over their heads. Harry muttered 'brooms' under his breath. In a rush of light and red, Ginny swooped in a tight circle on a broom and cast an attack spell at a Death Eater, who swung back in surprise. Like a flock of blackbirds, Ginny led a succession of twelve broomed wizards in an ark and then scattered among the Death Eaters in a rush of spells and yells.

'Sirius! Lupin!' Harry gasped as he sprang to his feet. The Phoenix Fighters held their wands up guardedly as they moved back into the centre, facing out on all sides, reinvigorated by the presence of the eleven arrivals come to help. Among them Sakura could see the flustering of familiar faces: Neville Longbottom, Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown, Colin Creevey, and others from Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw, including Susan Bones and Padma Patil (Parvati's twin sister), and a few other unfamiliar faces. This must have been Ginny's army — _Dumbledore's Army!_ They had all come to help!

Remus Lupin and Sirius Black took on leading roles in the assault, exchanging attack spells with Death Eaters who were still recovering from the shock of the fresh attack. Harry watched, mesmerized but clearly overjoyed at seeing them. Sirius glanced back, winking once before sending a swift exchange of spell fire with a Death Eater (effectively immobilizing him).

'Harry, focus,' Sirius whispered, noticing Harry's continued glimpses in his direction.

Harry grinned in return, his voice low. 'I'm just happy to see you.'

Trunks stood defensively in front of Meiling and Tomoyo, who had recovered her camera and filmed feverishly. He threw five Death Eaters down with a hammering of Ki blasts, noting that they attempted to attack the two girls with intent. He could see from the corner of his eyes a fresh legion of the hooded shadowy beings, the Dementors, hovering close by. It seemed they were on standby, watching, waiting and ready to target either the two girls or himself. Trunks gulped thickly, trying to brush back despairing thoughts. It seemed their presence alone drained him, making his ability or willingness to fight progressively weaker. Meiling offered up her own blasts in assistance as Tomoyo hovered slightly, trying to stay out of the way.

Chibi Moon fought with vigour, her magic rushing out of her wand in pink columns of light, blasting Death Eaters back. But where she failed to perform specific counter-attacks to the curses and jinxes they cast, Hermione assisted with strong shield and deflecting charms.

A female Death Eater advanced on Ron with a rush of fury, but Ron instinctively disarmed her wand, casting it away into the cluster of gravestones. She looked aghast and then took a single step back before Ron sent her reeling back with _'Expelliarmus!_ ' into two other Death Eaters.

'BLOODY TAKE THAT!' he crooned triumphantly and spun back into the fray.

Just as they were gaining an advantage, Lupin was suddenly struck by an attack spell and was sent sprawling on the ground. Sirius ran desperately to aid his friend and seeing his unconscious state, dragged him bodily to the side of the battle.

As Trunks fended off another Death Eater he saw that Draco had been freed from Sakura's ice tree and was advancing clumsily on him. Trunks' eyes flitted to his right; Bellatrix was manically thrusting her wand in a rhythmic pattern, like a drum beating to the march of soldiers. He then realised _she_ was controlling Draco's movements. Disarming another Death Eater, Trunks swiftly threw a ball of ki energy in her direction. Bellatrix's wild eyes bulged in disbelief as she was thrown back into the dark. This had the immediate effect of breaking Draco from the Imperius Curse.

However, Trunks watched in horror as Draco regained his footing. He blinked, looking momentarily stunned. He shook his head once and with a crazed look in his eyes, he turned. His eyes were situated on Harry as he set forth an attack spell. Faltering back in shock, Harry narrowly countered it.

'W-What the hell?' spluttered Syaoran, who stumbled, barely catching glimpse of what had happened. 'He's attacking Harry, yet he's no longer under the Curse.'

Ron gasped, retreating back. 'Blimey! He's really turned against us, then!'

' _Draco!'_ Meiling exclaimed over Trunks' shoulder. Draco glanced at her with an unreadable expression.

Trunks suddenly heard rustling from a bush to his left. He glanced over briefly and heard a woman's voice scream out something to his right.

Before he could blink, he felt the sting of red flashing lights hit from all sides, like being bathed in the dense hot air of a sizzling oven. Instantly he felt himself numb.

Everything stopped.

* * *

Trunks' face froze in a mildly surprised expression. As though in slow motion, they watched as he slumped forward and crumpled onto the ground like a broken toy. He didn't get up.

'TRUNKS!' Chibi Moon shrieked.

Seamus and Dean bounded forward and defensively fought off two Death Eaters who saw an opening in Trunks' defence.

Ginny waved her arm in a rehearsed spiral in the air, which seemed to signal Dumbledore's Army to fall back. Registering the fallen form of Trunks and Ginny's gesture, Sakura called for them to 'Withdraw to me. SHIELD!' and summoned the Shield Card over the Phoenix Fighters and Dumbledore's Army. The Shield solidified into an iridescent golden shell of light that bewildered the Death Eaters, lighting up their twisted faces beneath black hoods. The remaining Death Eaters slunk coyly around the barrier like wild cats, prodding and testing.

Chibi Moon pushed past Dean and Seamus who were trying to revive Trunks, slapping his cheeks lightly. She collapsed onto his chest, her shoulder shaking visibly through her cloak. 'NO!' she screamed. 'TRUNKS, GET UP!'

Draco stared, dumbfounded. Through the filmy gauze of Sakura's Shield, he saw as the cluster of Phoenix Fighters and their friends crowded around Trunks, who now laid out on Chibi Moon's lap, his arms splayed limply, save for the slight shaking from Chibi Moon's hysterical tears.

 _Was Trunks dead?_

Draco swallowed against a tightness in his throat as Meiling stood away from the group and stared penetratingly at him through the Shield. Her eyes were wide, her face a mask of disgust, shock and accusation.

Draco squinted, his eyes tearing from the violent rush of wind as the remaining Death Eaters dispersed into the night.

'Look!' A girl cried, her long dusty-blonde hair breezing behind her.

'Good eye, Luna,' Ginny shouted back. 'Onward, crew!'

'Onward!' they chorused.

Sakura shattered the Shield just in time to allow Dumbledore's Army kick off from the ground to shoot up into the air after the fleeing Death Eaters, specks of black against the deep indigo sky, like a wave of migratory birds in flight. At the tail of the vanguard, Remus, who had awoken, was supported by Sirius.

Upon watching their allies fleeting forms, Harry turned to see Bellatrix standing before them, wand raised.

'Your turn!' she rasped, her mouth twisted in a hateful sneer.

'No, Bellatrix,' a deep masculine voice intoned. 'He is for the Dark Lord to deal with himself, not you.'

Draco hunched his shoulders as a tall, lone figure in an ornate silver mask stepped purposefully into the light. The figure gently slipped off their hood and mask, revealing a pale regal face framed by long silver hair and set with stone grey eyes, so like Draco's own.

'F-Father!' Draco gasped and jerked his wand up.

Lucius Malfoy stared at his son, almost mirthfully. 'Ah, excellent! Draco, you found Potter and the wretched Mudblood.' He glared from Harry to Sakura. Then his face twisted into a spiteful sneer. 'Why have you not yet joined with Lady Karasu? We've lost many good men tonight, due to your insolence!'

His eyes then slid over Draco's blue and starry cloak, and he scoffed. 'And what the blazes are you wearing? Ridiculous.' He barked with laughter as he asked, 'What? Are you playing dress-up as a Muggle rendition of Merlin or something? Goodness me.'

Draco flinched at the remark and then yelped in surprise as his aunt, Bellatrix, latched onto his wrist, her spindly, sharp nails digging into his flesh through the fabric of his cloak.

'Our _dear_ Draco has been avoiding responsibility this whole time.' She pressed her chilled, gaunt face against Draco's, and he pulled back desperately, almost gagging from her cloying breath. 'But I bet this hurt?' she crowed and then roughly dragged the cloak sleeve past his elbow. His milky-white arm seemed to glow in the dim of the evening air. Bellatrix dug her nails into the enchanted black mark on his forearm. He cried out in pain as she broke skin. The mark suddenly blazed green.

Through the searing pain on his arm he stared desperately over at Meiling and the others. Most of them were now standing and gazing out through Shield, their faces a mixture of shock and hate. Their eyes on the mark. He felt sick; the air was permeated by the tragic cries of Chibi Moon as she bent over Trunks' immobile body.

Sakura stared, still and numb. Her face was unreadable, drained of all colour as her luminous green eyes looked at his left arm, then at him, but seemed glazed over as if they didn't see.

'The Dark Mark,' her voice carried out like a tidal wave, crashing down onto Draco's conscience. He was drowning.

He pressed his jaw together tightly, his ears ringing with the triumphant cackle of his aunt.

'YOU WERE SO IMMERSED IN YOUR LITTLE TEENAGE ANTICS, YOU DIDN'T BELIEVE FOR ONE MOMENT THAT DRACO COULD BE A ... _SPY?_...DELICIOUS!'

'He's done well...enough,' Lucius allowed. 'While he has certainly been _incompetent,_ the letters he sent were most informative. And Lady Karasu has been in touch with him. Personally.'

Bellatrix screeched gleefully and pushed off from Draco as she dared approach the rim of the Shield, taunting the Phoenix Fighters.

Draco stumbled back clutching his bleeding arm, blood hot and sticky between his fingers. He felt his face burn against the cool night and stared at his shoes.

'How could you?' he heard Meiling's whisper.

He pulled his head up and stared up past strands of limp hair. 'Meiling,' he whimpered, angry at how pathetic he must've sounded.

Meiling clenched her fists and slammed them against the protective barrier, sending a golden ripple through the Shield, screaming, 'HOW COULD YOU LIE TO US? TO ME?!'


	8. A Thieving Kiss Through Time

**Chapter 8: A Thieving Kiss Through Time**

Syaoran stepped up to pull Meiling back. 'Meiling, come on.'

'No!' Meiling screamed and turned to Draco, her eyes gleaming with tears. 'We trusted you. You were our friend, and you lied!'

'What did I tell you!' Harry exclaimed. 'And now Trunks might not recover!'

Draco staggered forward and stared at Meiling, imploring. 'Please, Meiling, I didn't _lie_. I just did not tell you the whole truth.'

Meiling laughed incredulously. 'Oh? And I suppose you think that the half truth is so much better?' she said with agonising sarcasm. 'Oh, of course I'll be on your side, and, oh yeah, I'll also secretly plan to have you KILLED!'

'It's not like that. I am on your side!' Draco exclaimed.

Meiling's tears receded as she stared at him scornfully. 'How stupid do you think I am, Malfoy?'

'I don't, I—'

'Because of you, Trunks could die!' She pointed a finger at him, jabbing it against the wall of Shield with each syllable. 'You're a horrible, lying bastard.'

Draco seemed to forget his father and wicked aunt standing behind him as he stumbled forward; he stammered, 'But Meiling ... I-I love you!'

Everyone fell silent.

Meiling flinched, as though the words were knives that had cut somewhere deep inside. She shut her eyes, swallowing hard as she reopened them and glared at him acidly. She responded in a deliberately measured tone, 'I _hate_ you.'

'We have to get Trunks back to the house,' Hermione said calmly as she and Ron gently levitated him off the ground, Chibi Moon holding his hand, tears trickling down her cheeks.

Syaoran stood beside Meiling, raising his wand to point at Draco. Draco raised his arms and stepped back, his eyes wide.

'You're lower than the dirt!' Syaoran snapped. 'It's one thing that you betrayed me, but my cousin? I'd just punch you in the face, but you're so damn lucky you've got _daddy_ beside you!'

Sakura summoned the Float Card, which formed a protective cushion at the base of Shield and levitated them up into the sky like a blimp. They all watched resentfully as they soared away from the cemetery; Draco watching helplessly after them as Lucius and Bellatrix approached him.

'This must be a joke,' Bellatrix scoffed, tossing a strand of her smooth her hair over her shoulder.

'Draco!' his father snapped, looking sternly at his son. 'I'm willing to overlook that pathetic display, if we are to be off this instant.'

Draco sighed helplessly, and the three of them disapparated with a puff of musky smoke and a minute bang.

* * *

Back at the house, the Phoenix Fighters met up with Dumbledore's Army (who had lost track of the Death Eaters, with a few additional injuries endured by the group), and the massive group of at least 20 all collapsed into the couches and on the floor, ripping their hats and cloaks off in frustration. They laid Trunks out on the living room floor in a respectable position, his head supported by a cushion. Chibiusa sat by his side, her eyes raw from crying as she watched Hermione and Ginny perform healing charms over the cuts and burns on his body. He remained unconscious but his breathing was normal. They did not know when he would awaken.

'Something doesn't add up,' Sirius Black could be heard mumbling to Lupin. 'Why did they take off like that? You'd think a bunch of no-good Death Eaters would stick around to finish the job.'

'Sakura's Shield seemed to hold them off. They probably realised there wasn't any point,' Hermione noted.

'Ah! Good observation, Hermione. As always, the brightest and keenest,' Lupin said with a warm smile that made Hermione's face brighten smugly.

Harry glanced frustratedly at Sirius. 'You never told me Malfoy was actually related to you. How is that even possible?'

Sirius shrugged. 'Harry, you should know by now that all the old wizarding families are connected somehow. Unfortunately for me, I got the misfortune of Bellatrix Lestrange for a cousin.'

'That mad cow,' Ron sniffed.

Ginny glanced over, looking impressed. 'Well that's rather tame, Ron. Even for you.'

'Oh?' Ron said, stroking his chin. 'I've even got more: Nutter McPhee...Mental Mistress of Mayhem...Bellatrix-That-Crazy-B—'

Just then, Hermione coughed deeply, but it wasn't clear if it were real or put on.

'How could he?' Meiling whispered as she stared at her hands.

Ron grumbled beside her on the couch, 'As always, can never trust a Malfoy!'

Harry nodded irately. 'Yeah, how could we be so stupid? I mean, we knew—right before we left the house we called him out on it, didn't we? He even had the Dark Mark this whole bloody time!'

'I told you before, didn't I?' Ginny mumbled and returned to tending Trunks. 'I even told Malfoy I suspected him to his face, meanwhile he just tells me to: _"mind your own business"_ ,' she added, gesturing with her fingers and imitating Draco's drawling tone.

'That was rather good, Ginny,' praised Seamus with an impressed nod.

'You think so?' Ginny looked up with a smile.

'Oh—do the one of Snape!' Neville laughed, pointing eagerly.

'Why did we go along with him?' Syaoran yelled, indifferent to their fooling around as he pummelling his fists together in frustration. 'What were we thinking?'

Sakura looked at them all, her eyebrows pinched together. 'I-It's hard for me to believe…but I sort of feel sorry for Draco. Actually, I'm worried.'

Syaoran rounded on her, livid. 'Are you insane?! You pity that evil creep? He deserves every bad thing that happens to him. He led those Death Eaters right to us!'

Sakura stood her ground. 'That "evil creep" was once your best friend. Have you no mercy at all?'

'Meiling?' Hermione asked gently, standing up from healing Trunks. 'Are you alright?'

Meiling shook her head violently. 'I hate him. I want him to die.'

Hermione tilted her head, her face sad. 'Meiling ...'

Meiling burst into tears and fell into Hermione and Ron's arms, bawling.

'See, Sakura?' Syaoran exclaimed. 'This is what he's done to us. You just had to invite him in, didn't you? You have to go and invite everyone in!'

'Hey, you brat!' chimed Kero, who had flitted from seemingly out of nowhere with his cheeks puffed and began swirling about Syaoran's face. 'Sakura's gone through enough—she doesn't need your nagging!'

'NOT NOW, STUFFED ANIMAL!' Growling gutterly, Syaoran swatted Kero with the back of his hand, sending him careening backwards into a wall. Diana scampered over to him.

Sakura gaped at Kero's limp body before twisting back to face Syaoran, arms drawn to her sides. 'Syaoran! You can't live your life not trusting anyone! Sometimes letting people in is the best thing you can do. It's what _decent people_ do!'

'No!' Syaoran snapped, gesturing down at Trunks. 'That's what extremely naive people do. Look at the risk we've been taking this whole time. It's just exploded in our face.'

Tears brimmed in Sakura's eyes. 'Naive? Well ... what if there's more to this than you think? What if something happens to him? What if he's in danger? Then what? Then I have to live with that, don't I?' She paused, and recalled the vision she had where Draco was there, standing and gawking at her desperately beside Karasu. Sakura clenched a fist and yelled, 'I'm only trying to do the right thing! How am I supposed to know what it means?'

'It?' Chibiusa asked, watching their exchange from the floor.

Sakura nodded silently. Syaoran ran a hand roughly over his face and yelled, 'Why do you care so damn much about what happens to him?'

Sakura was about to respond but was cut off by Ron.

'Guys,' he said, 'that's enough. You're starting to act like, well, me and Hermione. It's rather scary.' He gestured down at Meiling who was inconsolable in his and Hermione's arms.

Harry crossed his arms, and said grudgingly, 'That's right. This whole thing is driving us all mad. We all feel betrayed.'

Meiling looked up, her face blotchy from crying. 'I thought he wanted to change — but it was all a lie, wasn't it? He was only using me, pretending he cared about me so we'd let our guards down. How could he say those words so recklessly? _Love?_ Does he really know what that is?'

Syaoran shook his head angrily. 'Well, I told you about him so this is your own fault. Anyone with half a brain would —'

'Syaoran!' Sakura exclaimed.

The pair lapsed into an agitated silence like a boxing match that'd come to a draw.

Kero angrily rubbed his bulbous head as Diana padded over to Chibiusa.

* * *

Between the myriad of simultaneous conversations, Chibiusa looked at her guardian, face tear-stained as Diana returned to her side and placed a paw on her knee.

'Princess, you know that you have inherited your mother's healing ability,' Diana mewed, her eyes gentle.

Chibiusa looked at Trunks and then back at Diana. 'How could I? I'm useless in battle. I can barely access the power of the Crystal. So how could I heal him?'

At that moment the cheerful tone of a phone sounded from the pocket of Trunks' trousers. A few among the others turned to look as Chibiusa gingerly fished into his pocket and withdrew the phone: an oddly round communicator with an antennae and round screen. She pressed a button cautiously and held it out.

'H-Hello?'

Goten's face flashed onto the screen, looking surprised. 'Oh, why are _you_ answering?' he asked with a sly grin. 'And what's with all the noise? Are you guys having a party without me?'

Chibisa flushed slightly. She glimpsed uncomfortably at the others, then looked back with a facade of calm. 'Umm, Trunks is busy at the moment.'

Goten chuckled. 'Oh, I'm sure he is. Anyway, since he's busy, can you let him know that I've got the Dragon Balls ready.'

'Dragon Balls?' she asked curiously.

'Oh yeah,' Goten explained, his eyes widening as he unconsciously scratched his nose. 'Trunks wanted me to use them to save your home, the uh, Crystal Something .'

Chibiusa glanced down at Trunks and then back at Goten. 'Save my home?' she said, her voice small. 'Crystal Tokyo?'

Goten nodded, an arm behind his head. 'Right, that's it! Yeah. So the Dragon in our world only has the power to fulfil wishes, usually three. But since Trunks' wish relates to another dimension, it will take the power of all three wishes. Trunks' wish is to return Naraku to his world and bar him from entering all others, and away from your home.'

She glanced once more to Trunks and then smiled at Goten. 'That's amazing! Thank you, Goten. I wish there was something I could do for you.'

Goten waved his hand airily and laughed. 'Nah, it's worth it to see your pretty smile. Just let Trunks know I'm just about to make the wish. I guess what you could do is check in with your friends (however you do that). Talk soon hopefully.'

She nodded and pressed the button to end the call. She looked down at Trunks, and her heart swelled with every beautiful thought and emotion, like all of the good things she had ever experienced and knew, rolled into one. She then recalled, with clarity, the night that they had all drank far too much. She blushed, shakily bringing a hand over her mouth. She remembered, all of a sudden, the memory that she had inadvertently suppressed. That night, she had begged him to not stop looking at her. Now, in this instant as she watched his body lay motionless, she realised why it had hurt so much to see him like this. As long as he was like this, he could never look at her, not with those eyes that spoke what words alone couldn't. So it was true, wasn't it? Since then she had felt that way about Trunks? As though floodgates had been opened, she recalled all the times he had saved her. His humour and teasing. His kindness. His smile. She realised it at last. She _must_ have loved him—more than she could comprehend loving anyone. She wanted to return the favour. This time... _she wanted to save him._

The compact at her chest suddenly started to glow pink, pulsing like a second heartbeat. She held it out and stared as it continued to glow brighter and brighter. The room became still and quiet as the others turned to stare in awe.

'Small Lady, you can heal him, I believe it!' Diana proclaimed, pawing at the locket. 'You've been reconnected to your home, and you know how you feel. You know what you can do.'

Chibiusa nodded and held the locket over Trunks, and cried, _'Moon Healing Escalation!'_

The light flooded from the locket and swept over Trunks like a rush of liquid moonlight. The light then absorbed into his form and faded. Trunks' brow scrunched as he moaned and started to lift his head.

Chibiusa dropped her compact and tucked an arm behind his back, lifting him into a sitting position.

Trunks seemed to register their surroundings, his eyes widening as he regarded the others, Phoenix Fighters and Dumbledore's Army members staring at him, just as marvelled. His eyes then focused on her, his pupils dilating slightly.

Chibiusa smiled and gasped, 'Thank goodness!' She felt the fresh flood of tears as she threw herself forward, burying her head into his chest. 'I was so scared! Trunks—' She drew away, the words 'I love you' bubbling at the back of her throat as she opened her mouth.

Trunks gently cupped the back of her head and leaned forward. He pressed his lips to her forehead, a soft, warm gesture. He drew away, smiling broadly.

'You're my hero,' he said, half-jokingly.

Chibiusa, slightly puzzled at why he had not let her finish, shook her head. 'No, you're _my_ hero. You, and Goten, saved my home.'

'All in a day's work,' Trunks finished, patting her on the shoulder as he lifted to his feet and eyed the others. 'Well, what are we doing now?'

Lupin' eyes lit up, having taken in the scene. 'Amazing! Struck by five Death Eaters at once with a strong combination of Stunning spells and he's already recovered! He's got the robustness of a giant.'

Diana grinned proudly. 'Or, rather, it could also be a testament to Sailor Chibi Moon's newfound power!'

Chibiusa blushed slightly, shyly averting her gaze.

'You'd be right about that, cat,' Trunks said affirmatively.

Chibiusa glanced at him silently.

'You're really an alien? For real?' Luna exclaimed, gaping at Trunks in awe.

Lavender and Parvati whispered and tittered amusedly among themselves, seemingly enthralled with the newly awakened Trunks.

'Oh, Trunks, I'm so glad,' Sakura sighed, and the others verbalised her sentiment. All except Harry, who was looking about the room. He walked out of the room, through the kitchen and into the dining room. He appeared again after several more moments, his face chalk white.

'What's the matter, Harry?' Ginny asked hesitantly.

Harry glanced at them all, and then at Sakura. 'Tomoyo's not here!'

They all sprang to their feet.

'Tomoyo!' Sakura cried, wringing her hands. 'Oh no, it's my fault! She's my best friend and I didn't notice this whole time.'

'We have to go back,' Harry said resolutely, heading for the door.

'I'll come — Chibiusa and Hermione, stay with Trunks and Meiling,' Sakura said and headed out with the remaining Phoenix Fighters.

They bounded down the street until they returned to the cemetery, now an unturned mess of earth like a field ready to sow. A crow perched on a low hanging tree, its purple eyes glittering eerily. Harry glanced at it as it cawed and then alighted into the night. He then held up his wand light and saw it: Tomoyo's camera lying on its side, the recording light still flickering.

'I found her camera,' he called to the others.

He crouched down to retrieve it.

When his hand clasped to the holder of the camera he felt his entire body rush and bend as though he were linens in a washing machine. He was then upended onto cold, damp earth, his stomach reeling. He pushed himself up from the ground and stared into the dimly lit space past a crack in his lens. When his eyes adjusted to the dark, he realised that he was in a cavernous area with stifling air.

He lifted his wand and summoned ' _Lumos_ ', illuminating each crevice with delicate light. He heard a shuffling sound. He whipped around and saw Tomoyo crouching on the ground, her hair and dress puddling around her as her arms and legs were bound together by unseen manacles.

She squinted against his wand light and then stared desperately. He was already rushing down beside her. 'No, Harry! Don't, it's a trap!' she whispered frantically and stared beyond his shoulder, her eyes glazed with tears. 'Oh, no...'

Sweat pooling at the base of his neck, Harry used his wand to release the invisible binds on her ankles and wrists and pulled her up. 'Let's go!'

'Harry, watch out!' Tomoyo cried, pointing over his shoulder as she backed into the carved wall.

Harry whipped around and took a step backward. A wreath of Dementors loomed around them, five, six, seven...so many Dementors. Harry ignored the feeling of terror coiling in his stomach and raised his wand, instinctively releasing his Patronus.

 _'Expecto Patronum!'_

His stag Patronus came cantering out his wand in a rush of light and reared its iridescent antlers, stewarding the Dementors back.

Tomoyo whimpered from behind, 'No! Not them! They — They just killed someone! Harry, _please_ , it's not worth it! Turn back now!'

Harry pressed against her, his wand raised with both hands as he concentrated on maintaining his Patronus.

She couldn't mean _kill_. Dementors didn't kill. She must have meant that they had…

Harry brushed the thought aside and refocused.

'What are they doing here?' he shouted as though there were someone to give an answer. He then thought edgily, _Where was here?_

'Harry!' She clutched at the back of his shirt and shook him gently. 'Don't do this. It's you they're after. Not me!'

Harry glanced at her. 'Tomoyo. Your camera is over there. It's a Portkey, and it will take you back to the others. Please go, _now_!'

Tomoyo squeezed his shoulders. 'I want you alive, Harry!' she whimpered. 'I don't want to leave without you.'

He suddenly felt exhausted, like all of his energy was being siphoned away. He looked ahead and yelled in frustration. His Patronus galloped in a tight circle and then started to fade. The Dementors, seeing an opportunity, surged towards them. Recalling that they were after him and not Tomoyo, Harry yelled 'RUN, TOMOYO!' and dived through the Dementors away from her. 'Over here!' he roared and pushed another surge of magic to maintain his Patronus. Some Dementors split off from the group and glided towards him, but others remained hovering close to Tomoyo, their pale hands protruding from under their robes, gesturing cryptically.

Why didn't she make a move towards the camera?

Harry's vision blurred as the last of his ability to maintain the Patronus was spent. His Patronus gave a final charge at the Dementors and faded in a blink of white light. Harry shook his head against the dizziness and stumbled forward, tripped and dropped painfully onto his knees. For a moment he couldn't breathe, suffocating from the cold, freezing air. He reached out his arms and tried to cast something— _anything_ —but only managed a weak spark of magic that only illuminated the hems of the Dementors' robes as they surrounded Tomoyo.

Tomoyo screamed, 'HARRY! HELP, PLEASE!'

Harry suddenly felt a rush of adrenaline and launched off his feet, but he was immediately barred by three Dementors. He heard Tomoyo's desperate cries, like a cornered animal that was about to be mauled. He tried to summon his Patronus, again and again, and cried, 'No! No! NO!' but it would not work.

He saw Tomoyo's pale hand groping just past the line of Dementors, pleadingly towards Harry. He screamed: 'TOMOYO!'

There was no response. The Dementors flitted away to expose her rumpled form, limp on the ground, her hair scattered like a grey circlet around her head, her face expressionless like a porcelain doll.

Harry did not see the Dementors moving all around as he muttered 'no, no, no,' and he crawled down and lifted her into his arms. He rocked her roughly, hopelessly, making her staring face bump against his arm. 'Why didn't you leave, _Tomoyo_ … _!'_ He shuddered as hot tears rushed down his face. He was hyperventilating. 'You can't...you can't be—?'

Her breath rattled, labouring, through the space between her pale lips, but she was unresponsive. Her body was alive, but she had lost her soul. _A fate worse than death_. He wouldn't hear her tinkling laugh, or share her observations or odd humour, or hold her soft hands again. He wouldn't be able to share with her all those benign and wonderful, incremental stages of a relationship. He tucked his head against the nape of her neck and howled in sorrow, an inhuman sound foreign to his own ears.

Harry suddenly heard the peel of a cruel woman's laughter. He glared up ahead and watched as a tall woman with flowing grey and purple robes and knotted black hair glided towards him. The Dementors shied away from her. He knew her sallow face from his dreams.

'I see you've met the Dementors.'

'KARASU!' Harry blurted, surging with rage. He wanted her to die, to die in the most painful and prolonged way possible.

'Humph,' she said thoughtfully. 'Now. I daresay, excellent Patronus. Well formed, might I add. However, everyone knows it can only be used so many times.'

Harry groused, 'I'll—'

'Move, child!' she commanded and flicked her wand. Harry felt an invisible force lift him and cast him back away from Tomoyo and against the cavern wall, sending splinters of pain shooting across his spine and arms. His face stung. Drips of blood fell to the floor. He realised his nose was bleeding. He groaned heavily as he strained to his elbows and watched, as though in his own nightmare, Lady Karasu step forward and gaze down at Tomoyo.

She looked down piercingly, and her mouth drew back in an insipid, triumphant smirk as she lifted her clawed hand. 'I see they've performed the _Kiss_. Well, it's time to finish the job.'

Harry fought against his pain and bolted off from the ground, scrambling with his wand as he charged Karasu. 'GET AWAY FROM HER!'

A green light blasted from her wand and engulfed Tomoyo's body.

'NO!' Harry roared as he groped for Tomoyo.

Karasu laughed and thrust her other hand, casting Harry onto his back with a hard thump. 'No matter. She would have been useless anyway. May as well end the misery now.'

Harry glared at her, hating her with every ounce of his being. 'You foul…disgusting—'

Karasu turned and moved towards him, one arm folded across her chest as she tapped her wand to her chin with the other. 'Harry Potter, I meet you at last. I've heard so much about you. I'm so very glad you made it.'

'W-What?' Harry stammered flatly, his hand clasping his wand tightly.

She shrugged her shoulders, an eerily normal gesture. 'Well, I knew if we brought this Muggle—I hear she's rather close to both you and Sakura Kinomoto—you'd come running to the rescue.' She smiled ruefully, noting the shock on his face. 'Oh? You thought _that_ was a serious battle? Why, it was only a _clever distraction_.'

Harry gritted his teeth. _Of course._ The Death Eaters had left suddenly because the objective had been to kidnap Tomoyo all along. It was so they could get Harry or Sakura alone, separated from the others.

They had all been deceived.

Karasu lifted her slender arms, her wand held gracefully between her forefingers like the conductor of an orchestra.

'I see only you came. No matter. I shall kill you anyway. Ha ha!'

Harry surged to his feet and thrust his wand at her. She swiftly disarmed him, sending his wand clacking out into the dark. She then pointed her wand at him. He felt a sense of déja vu. So this was it, then. He blinked sluggishly, as though time moved slowly.

At least at the other end, he would see Tomoyo and his parents...

But he looked at her again. She seemed to hesitate. Why did she not kill him?

Just then, Harry felt a rush of hot air and turned in a daze. Beside him stood Trunks, his arm wrapped around Sakura's waist as she clutched her Sealing Staff. They quickly threw Harry a glance and separated.

'Sorry I took so long. I went back for Trunks!' Sakura explained quickly as Trunks sent a succession of ki blasts towards Lady Karasu.

Karasu seemed to phase in and out of existence, dodging each of his attacks effortlessly. She smirked. 'The Cards Mistress and the Saiyajin?'

'Ah, so you know about me?' Trunks said as he threw up a middle finger. 'Bring it, witch!'

Karasu smiled, perhaps in amusement. Perhaps in anticipation. 'We'll meet again soon,' she said. Suddenly she was gone.

In her wake surged a swarm of Dementors, their hoods drawn back to reveal gaping wounds for mouths, sucking desperately at the air to sample their joy, their happiest thoughts. Sakura summoned the Light Card, which acted almost as effectively as a Patronus. Harry threw himself down and pulled Tomoyo into his arms. At the last minute, Sakura retrieved the camera and Harry's wand. Trunks hastily grasped Sakura, Harry and Tomoyo. Harry felt a completely different sensation to using a Portkey, as though every particle of his being were separated and then neatly stacked back together in another place.

They were suddenly sprawled out on the front yard, the light of the house spilling out over them in a yellow blanket. Hermione, Ron and the others trickled out of the house and surrounded them.

'Right on, it worked!' Ron cried.

'Harry! Oh, thank goodness!' Ginny's voice exclaimed overhead.

'Good form, you guys!' Syaoran yelled. 'I can't believe Trunks was actually able to find Harry sensing his ki!'

'Tomoyo!' Sakura called.

But their voices sounded far away, like distant sirens calling over a vast ocean. Harry recalled, despairing, what had happened only moments before. He felt the unnatural cold of her skin through the thin fabric of her dress. She had been alive, her eyes bright with life. But now she was gone. He clutched Tomoyo closely. His body heaved violently as he broke down in hysterical sobs.

'Harry?' he heard Ron mutter above him.

He felt warm hands pressing on his back, on his shoulders, his head. Someone tried to pull Tomoyo away from him. He resisted, clutching her more tightly as he cried.

He heard several gasps.

Someone shrieked, a girl's voice, _'TOMOYO!'_

Several voices dissolved into uneven, muffled sobs.

Harry looked up through his tear-streaked and cracked glasses. He heard crunching on the path behind them. He turned his head blearily and saw Draco Malfoy standing at the gates, his pale face set in a shocked expression, his blue cloak replaced with black sweeping robes. Harry thought, with blind fury, that Malfoy had betrayed the information, that Tomoyo was important to him.

 _'MALFOY!'_ Harry screamed and lifted to his feet, still clutching Tomoyo. 'THIS IS BECAUSE OF YOU! ALL BECAUSE OF _YOU!'_

It was like Malfoy had said, threateningly, months ago. W _hat was Harry most afraid of in this world? What if these fears came true?_

Malfoy turned slightly and like a shadow, he was gone.

In spite of this, Harry continued, his voice cracking, shrieking in pitch and out of control as the others hastened to his side to calm and subdue him.

'COME BACK, YOU COWARD! COME BACK AND FACE ME LIKE A MAN, YOU — _BASTARD_!'

Draco Malfoy knew this would happen. _He knew._

* * *

It was mere hours to midnight. They had laid out Tomoyo's body on the couch, her hands folded in her lap, and her eyes drawn closed as though in sleep. Sakura sat on the floor with Harry, their hands clasped together as they stared at Tomoyo's face.

Sakura had felt angry at Harry for not being able to save Tomoyo. But she knew that it was pointless, misdirected anger. She needed to use that anger as fuel, focus it on being useful. She thought furiously about the options. She had thought, resolute, that she could use the Return Card to save Tomoyo, to stop it all from happening.

But when she had mentioned it, Syaoran was adamant that even with her power, the recent battle had drained a lot of her reserves, and the longer they waited, the more time passed, the less potential she had to use that power. Chibiusa mentioned forlornly that she was no longer able to contact Sailor Pluto and obtain the Time Key. Trunks considered the Dragon Balls, but then he recalled that all the wishes had already been used. They were quickly running out of options.

Ron, in a moment of clarity, turned to Hermione and mentioned that she had once used a time turning object to save Buckbeak, the Hippogriff she and Harry had rescued in Third Year. In turn, they had also saved Sirius from being returned to Azkaban.

The mystical object, the Time-Turner, was under the strict control of the Ministry for Magic. Hermione looked hesitant, as though not wanting to give them false hope. She bit her thumb nail.

'What about Percy?' Ron suggested.

Hermione looked desperately at him. 'We could ask him, but Owl Post would not be nearly fast enough. We only have until midnight, which is literally a few hours from now.'

'We can get there from Kotou Takinou. Do you have Floo powder on you?' Ron asked Ginny, who nodded and handed him a pouch from her pocket. Ron received the pouch and withdrew his wand.

Hermione stood up and gripped his arm. 'No, Ron! It's much too dangerous.'

Ron turned and kissed her on the forehead. 'Hermione, I have to. We don't have any other options.' He turned to the members of Dumbledore's Army. 'Any takers?'

'I will,' Ginny said, and smiled as Dean stepped forward and clutched her hand. Sakura then noted through her muddled thoughts that perhaps they were a couple.

Neville rubbed his nose and stepped forward. 'That's four of us. Ready?'

Ron nodded resolutely and swung around to smile at the others. 'I'll be seeing you in a bit.'

Hermione made a choking sound and swooped into Ron's arms, her arms gripping his middle tightly. 'Ronald Weasley, don't you _dare_ die!' she snivelled and released him.

Ron chuckled and kissed her on the mouth. They lingered for a moment. He then broke away and headed towards the door with Ginny and the others. He looked over them all once more, his eyes settling on Harry, who continued to stare at Tomoyo.

'Don't worry, mate. It's not over,' Ron said as they exited the house.

Sakura shared a sad smile with Hermione, who continued to watch the door.

* * *

Miraculously, Ron returned an hour and a half later with the Time-Turner and few cuts to show for his efforts. Percy, who had been effortlessly loyal to the Ministry for many years, had witnessed the atrocities that had encroached its chambers. His eyes had been inextricably opened. Intent on making a difference, he had sneakily slipped into a restricted area and delivered the Time-Turner without so much as a blink. He wished Ron, Ginny and the others well.

Now the expansive group of Phoenix Fighters and Dumbledore's Army crowded around the living room table to discuss the plan. The battle with the Death Eaters needed to happen, as they could not possibly comprehend what they would have done had Dumbledore's Army not arrived. The very least they could do was ensure that Tomoyo was not taken by the Death Eaters, that she was protected. Hermione was the most familiar with using the Time-Turner, as was Harry, so it was decided that they would both go back and rescue Tomoyo. They would travel back to the moment they were attacked by Boggarts, as that was the last time they could recall seeing Tomoyo.

Harry read the fine inscription on the golden body of the Time-Turner: 'I mark the hours, every one, Nor have I yet outrun the Sun. My use and value, unto you, Are gauged by what you have to do.'

'We'll make it right, don't you worry,' Hermione said reassuringly. 'However, you must understand that only you and I will remember all of this; that Tomoyo died,' Hermione said calmly to Harry, who nodded. 'We must not do anything that would hint at our presence, as it could spell disaster. When we return, we must not breathe a word to the others.'

Harry nodded, his shoulders squared as he breathed deeply. 'I understand. Remember? We did this before.'

Prior to their departure, Ron and Hermione shared a deep kiss, while Sakura and the others hugged Harry sparingly. He tried to give them a brave smile, but his eyes kept flitting back to Tomoyo, who lay on the couch.

Outside, Harry placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder as she held the Time-Turner between her fingers and methodically started to spin the golden disk between her hands, her eyes shining with concentration.

He felt a rush as though he were falling and felt his feet sink into the damp earth of the cemetery. He and Hermione dropped swiftly behind a bush and witnessed the recent battle unfold, surreal at this vantage point as he watched himself and the others stand off against each of their darkest fears, which from Harry's perspective looked like shapeless, glowing forms. The group huddled together, those with wands raised them. But then they had fallen.

 _'SAKURA, NO!'_

Harry watched with gnashed teeth as Tomoyo cried out, and she among the others sunk to the ground.

 _'RIDDIKULUS!'_

He and Syaoran had used the defensive spell on the Boggarts.

'That was good thinking, Harry,' Hermione muttered. 'I was so convinced that McGonagall was standing there at that moment telling me I couldn't graduate...'

Harry gave a weak smile in response as he watched movements in the distance, and the crowd of Death Eaters encroach upon their group. Bellatrix stood at the helm, with Draco at her side. They watched Draco (while under the Imperius Curse) suddenly bring his arms up and then down, sending forth a barrage of attacks on the teens. Sakura had summoned Freeze, halting Draco in his tracks as the other Fighters scattered.

'That traitorous snake,' Harry groused.

'I understand, Harry. But we can't do anything rash. We have to focus on saving Tomoyo,' Hermione chided gently.

Harry glanced at her with a frown. 'I'm not daft, Hermione. How can I possibly focus on anything else?'

'Look, there they are,' whispered Hermione.

They averted their gaze as they saw Dumbledore's Army, Sirius and Lupin all swoop in together, raining down a shower of sparkling attacks before then descending like a flurry of bats. Once Sirius had slid off his broom, landing steadily on both feet, he passed a dark glance over Bellatrix. Harry listened carefully to their exchange:

 _'Oh, why isn't it the Black family's shame?'_ Bellatrix hissed.

Sirius gave a confident smirk.

 _'You sure you aren't referring to yourself, Bella? Last time I checked your boney arse was curled up and crying in a prison cell, like an infant without its pacifier.'_

 _'You say what you wish now, filthy Blood-Traitor….'_

Harry blanched. It was in that moment he could see how much Bellatrix and Sirius truly resembled each other, both sharing dark, gaunt, yet striking features that had been partially etched away from the stresses of captivity. Then there came another wave of attack spells. Bellatrix resumed her control over Draco.

Harry then watched his other self with embarrassment, his blue-cloaked form looking over his shoulder, glancing giddily at Sirius. _Idiot_ , Harry thought. He noticed with some fascination as a Death Eater had (unbeknownst to Harry then) lunged for him at that moment, but had been Jelly-Legged by Neville just in time.

'Whoa! I owe that bloke my life,' Harry said in a surprised murmur.

'I've lost Tomoyo,' muttered Hermione.

Harry snapped his head, guiltily, anxiously scanning the grave site and feeling ashamed that he had allowed himself to be distracted. Then he spotted her. 'There!'

Tomoyo was hovering just slightly, camera pressed intently against her face as Trunks darted back and forth, several Death Eaters inching back, narrowly missing his blasts.

'Any sign of the Death Eater?' Hermione asked, craning her neck and squinting through the dense fog. They noticed the tell-tale chill in the air as Dementors lined the edges of the battlefield, distinctly looming around where Tomoyo, Meiling and Trunks stood.

'Can't believe that even people like the Death Eaters would work alongside the Dementors,' Harry muttered bitterly.

'Look how the Dementors crowd around Trunks,' Hermione whispered, pointing. 'It's strange, but they must have been specifically summoned to target him.'

 _'BLOODY TAKE THAT!'_ Ron's voice could be heard yelling from a distance.

Hermione shook her head, as though embarrassed but suppressing a small smile. 'Well, he's gotten it right at least.'

'Look, Hermione! I see him—there! He must have been the one to kidnap her.' Harry pointed at a figure who stood unusually still. He kept directing a furtive look towards Trunks and the others. Then suddenly, as though seeing an opening he motioned towards them.

Hermione gasped. 'That's the wizard who attacked Lupin! I remember.' She indicated to her other self in the distance. 'See? I was right there, but then I turned because Chibiusa...'

'Wait? I-Is that a werewolf?' Harry gasped. They noticed as a muscular, hairy man with notably pointed ears and a sharp overbite, his arms slightly elongated and tipped with claws, skulked towards Colin Creevey. The man's chuckle was like a wolf's bark, husky and cruel as he approached the frantic boy.

Colin Creevey screamed as the werewolf approached, fumbling with his wand.

'No! He's doing it wrong! He's going to get killed,' Hermione hissed frantically. _'Stupefy!'_

She shot a red stream of light at the werewolf. Greyback was immediately forced back several feet away from Colin and sprawled bodily onto the ground with a dull thud.

Colin made a whooping sound of relief and misfired his wand at his chest, sending himself landing onto his back with a squeak.

'Hermione? I thought we weren't interfering?' Harry uttered, lifting a brow.

Hermione shrugged.

'I wonder if the one who hit Lupin wasn't a Death Eater after all, but Colin Creevey misfiring his wand?'

They watched as Colin lay on the ground, chest rising and falling with clear unease. Lupin rushed to his side as Hermione and Harry gained sight of the Death Eater, their initial target, looming like a shadow behind Tomoyo as she continued to film the scene.

Quickly, Harry cast _'Petrificus Totalus!'_ and sent the Death Eater lock-limbed and dumb onto their face.

'Excellent, Harry!' Hermione whispered gleefully, and glanced around. 'Now, we could try to get at Bellatrix before she attacks, in about...' She looked at her watch. 'A minute.'

Harry, unhearing, glared out from the bush, watching as Draco slid out of Sakura's ice tree and stumbled forward. His pale eyes widened, pupils dilated as he fired an attack spell at the other Harry, who barely dodged and then countered it.

 _'Draco!'_ Meiling exclaimed from near Trunks. Draco glanced at her with an unreadable expression.

'Malfoy!' Harry spat. Glaring and hellbent on revenge, Harry pushed through the bush, resting his chest on a thick limb as he concentrated, Draco ambling closer to them. Harry stared past the point of his wand, aiming. Suddenly the branch gave way and snapped loudly.

Trunks suddenly moved his head and glanced in their direction. Did he meet their eyes? They'd been caught!

'We need to leave,' Hermione gasped and roughly snatched Harry by the wrist and dragged him out of the bushes. 'We can't be seen again.'

He glanced back one more time as green light illuminated his glasses in their retreat.

* * *

' _AVADA KEDAVRA!_ ' a flash of green light cycled outwards, like a raging torrent of lightning. It struck Trunks, and instantly, his body tensed. With eyes wide, his limbs swung limply, then he crumpled forward with a great thump. He was still. Frozen. _Motionless._

'NO!' screamed Hermione and Sakura, staring in horror at where he lay. The others gaped at his body, too shocked to speak. Chibiusa felt confused, uncertain what had just occurred but feeling panicked by Trunks' unusual stillness.

' _Expelliarmus!_ ' shouted Lupin, swiftly stumbling forth with his wand hand extended. With a zap, Bellatrix' wand flew out of her hand and into the thicket. She glowered at him darkly. She made to retrieve it, swivelling around desperately, when Lupin followed up with a hex that rendered her immobile. The Phoenix Fighters remained in a state of disbelieving stupor.

'The… Killing Curse…' Ron breathed. 'They really—'

'She killed him,' Harry spluttered.

Another barrage of spells came from behind as more of the Death Eaters encroached upon them.

'Everyone!' Sirius roared, his face dotted with perspiration. 'We just have to leave it! Focus!'

Through their disbelief and horror the others responded affirmably, finding the resolve to continue to soldier on.

Chibi Moon, on the other hand, remained still, staring blankly at Trunks' body. Her skin had lost all its colour, her eyes round, her lower lip began to quiver.

* * *

Chibiusa didn't move, as the others fought around her, sparks of electricity flying and voices echoing. It all felt distant. She was there, but she didn't feel as though she really was. It was like time just stood still.

'Sailor Chibi Moon? Chibiusa!' someone called, trying desperately to get her attention. 'Chibiusa, what are you doing?'

At last she felt her knees buckle, and just short of collapsing she was caught by Sakura who, aided by Hermione, dragged her out of harms' way. Her eyes remained on Trunks as she was pulled off to the side. She sat feebly on the ground. It was at that moment that the tears fell.

'Chibiusa…' Sakura whispered anxiously, the raging battle behind them on the back of her mind.

Chibiusa began to wheeze in deep shallow breaths, as she brushed away the tears gushing down her face with rattling, slender fingers.

'He's… _dead_?' she croaked.

Sakura looked sullen as she glanced wordlessly at Hermione and then Tomoyo who had suddenly stopped taping to join them. Hermione flicked her wand, whispering ' _Levicorpus_ ' causing Trunks' body to glide towards them. He landed gently on the grass before them. Scrambling anxiously forth, Chibiusa crouched down, grasping at the folds of his clothing. She gaped tensely into his now pale face. His eyes stared out looking cold and despondent like a dim ocean. Hermione glanced at Sakura, urging her to return to aid the others. Sakura gave an understanding nod, wiping some of her own escaped tears as she returned to fight. Hermione reached forth, feeling his wrist for a pulse. Her mouth fell open.

'He's…he's still alive!'

Chibiusa felt relief trickle through her, but she was still hesitant. 'But why isn't he moving?'

Hermione regarded him apprehensively. 'Perhaps…he's been Petrified?' She frantically ruffled her hair, thinking and speaking quickly. 'He's not dead but he's certainly unconscious. For some reason the spell didn't work fully. I've read about this kind of thing happening. I suspect, not being fully human has something to do with it, but I'm not sure how to bring him out of this state. I'm not sure…if we even can…'

At that moment, Meiling had run over, panting heavily. Hermione and Tomoyo looked at her while Chibiusa continued to stare blankly at Trunks, still very shaken.

'Hermione, you have to get out there—you know I'm useless against Death Eaters,' she said firmly. 'I'll stay with them.'

Chibiusa's head jerked up, surprised by Meiling's words. Tomoyo gave a thin-lipped smile.

'It's alright,' Meiling said soothingly, squeezing Chibiusa's shoulder. 'I'm sure he will be okay. Don't give up.' She then hugged Chibiusa, who leaned into her. Tomoyo placed her camera on the ground and joined the hug. Even in the midst of the battle and with Trunks by her lap, she felt a warmth in her heart.

Through her haze of emotions, Chibiusa noticed occasional events, when the Death Eaters retreated, when Dumbledore's Army pursued them, and when Sakura cast the Shield like a shimmering balloon protectively around them. She also noticed when Meiling left her side to stare spitefully at Draco, who, she couldn't quite comprehend, was desperate to reclaim Meiling's favour. She also noted that suddenly they were all floating, somehow levitating up and away from the cemetery into the cool night, even in the protection of the Shield, the night air whizzing past her face, stinging her cheeks. The next thing she knew, they were home.

* * *

'It was a trap! Malfoy tricked us and we fell stupidly hard for it,' Syaoran moaned through clenched teeth as he paced back and forth, his hair unruly.

Harry and Ron nodded, too angry to form words.

'We might not...we might not be safe here,' Sakura said uncertainly as she pressed a palm to the wall and shut her eyes. 'But the wards are strong. At least so far they've been.' She turned to Hermione and Tomoyo with a sad sigh. 'I don't know what we're going to do.'

They all fell silent and stared at Trunks, who they placed onto the couch, his hands clasped limply together, his eyes gently coaxed shut by Chibiusa's quivering hands. The pink-haired girl hiccoughed and pressed her hands to her face, dissolving into another bout of tears. Meiling, in spite of her own grief over Draco, cooed softly and brought Chibiusa into her arms, rocking them gently.

'If we don't figure out how to revive him soon, he may die,' Hermione said softly, and met Ron's eyes. 'We...we can't let it end like this.'

Ron made a startled sound as she looked at him. 'We could stop it from happening. Go back in time. Hmmm. What about the Time-Turner?' he asked. 'We could...I could talk to Percy and get one.'

Hermione looked at him thoughtfully. 'But...but how?'

'We can get there from Kotou Takinou. Do you have Floo powder?' Ron asked Sakura, who nodded and frantically ran out of the room and upstairs to retrieve her own. She returned moments later with a pouch and handed it to him.

Ron received the pouch and withdrew his wand.

Hermione stood up and gripped his arm. 'No, Ron! It's much too dangerous.'

Ron turned and kissed her on the forehead. 'Hermione, I have to. We don't have any other options.' He turned to the others. 'Any takers?'

Sakura was about to volunteer when Syaoran stood up and said, 'I will.' When Sakura made to protest, he hugged her tightly and then kissed her forehead. 'You're likely the targets, you and Harry. The news reporter said both your names earlier. You're safer here.'

Ron swung around to smile at the others. 'I'll be seeing you in a bit.'

Hermione made a choking sound and swooped into Ron's arms, her arms gripping his middle tightly. 'Don't you _dare_ die!' she snivelled and released him.

Ron chuckled and kissed her. They lingered for a moment. He then broke away and headed towards the door with Syaoran. He looked over them all once more, his eyes settled on Trunks.

'Don't worry mate. We'll save you,' Ron said as they exited the house.

Sakura shared a sad smile with Hermione, who continued to watch the door.

* * *

Ron and Syaoran successfully obtained the Time-Turner. Hermione and Harry, being the most familiar with the device, went back in time to prevent Trunks from being struck by the Killing Curse. Not a moment too long after they had vanished with the Time-Turner, had they reappeared in the same place, but now looking dishevelled and alarmed.

'What happened?' Hermione said breathlessly, goggling at the others as they all sat around.

Harry shook his head and then rushed straight to Tomoyo. Tomoyo squeaked when Harry grabbed her by the shoulders and pressed his lips to hers. The others watched on, wide-eyed.

Ron laughed in surprise as he circled Hermione, who continued to look frazzled and as though she had a headache.

'No seriously, what happened just now?' Hermione asked and she distractedly looked down at the Time-Turner in her hand. 'Oh...'

She glanced around at the others: Dumbledore's Army were scattered about, Tomoyo was staring at Harry in awe, blushing furiously, while Sakura and Syaoran were seated on one couch, Ron and Meiling on the other, and Chibiusa and Trunks were crouched on the floor. She raised her eyebrows at them.

'Well,' she said, regaining herself. 'Since that was obviously a resounding success, let us consider next steps.'

* * *

Bellatrix Lestrange shivered on the floor, her sleek hair falling over her face as she stared in terror at Lady Karasu.

'You failed to bring me that girl,' Lady Karasu hissed from her makeshift throne, her sharp nails tenderly stroking the glowing skull. The eerie green glow flickered with each intonation of her voice. 'They were practically delivered to you on a silver platter, and you lost them. What made you think I would allow you back here, after your abject failure?'

'Please, I'm begging you for another chance! I am so close. We just need one more try,' Bellatrix lowered her head, her hands grubby with dirt as she clasped them together, placatingly. 'And Draco! We got Draco! Surely, that—'

'Get Draco? Who the blazes asked you to do that? Was the mission not outlined clearly enough for you _?_ ' Karasu said mockingly. She stared for a moment and then she laughed, sounding like two voices at once. 'Another chance? My dear Bella, you've already had yours.'

Bellatrix's eyes bulged as she looked up in horror. 'No, please...I have been loyal all this time — I — does my devotion, my love, count for _nothing?!'_

'Love,' Karasu spat contemptuously. 'The weakest trait of our species.' She lifted her wand and pointed it, like a knife, at Bellatrix. 'Well then, feel the extent of the Dark One's "love". _CRUCIO!'_

Bellatrix shrieked as though she were being torn apart. She thrashed and wailed like a a bushel of Mandrakes, her cries echoing through the dark. She raked her face with sharp nails, the whites of her eyes gleaming through tangles of her hair, dimly lit by the globes set along the carved walls.

The remaining Death Eaters stood at a distance, their masks not betraying their looks of fright or disgust, Bellatrix's cries shuddering through them.

Draco Malfoy stood several rows back beside his father, his eyes wide with terror and his hands trembling as he watched his aunt being tortured to death. His father Lucius stood close by, unshakably tall and strident in his regard.


	9. The Blossom Wilts

**Chapter 9: The Blossom Wilts**

It was 1:00am in the morning as the Phoenix Fighters and Dumbledore's Army congregated in the living room. Hermione, Ginny and Chibiusa had finished tending to everyone's wounds, as they now huddled under blankets and on a sea of floor cushions, discussing next steps over tea and biscuits.

'You definitely arrived in the nick of time,' Ron said observantly, sipping cautiously at his steaming cup.

'It was certainly as though you knew the exact time and place,' Hermione agreed.

Ginny exchanged a look with Sirius and Lupin, then turned to Ron. 'We were actually told by the old DADA teacher, Kaho Mizuki, who was told by Eriol, where we could find you.'

Syaoran pushed off from the couch beside Sakura, his arms folded as he stared at Neville who was repairing a broken broom.

'You travelled all the way here on brooms?'

Neville chuckled. 'Nah. We used Floo powder and brought the broomsticks.'

'Although, I suspect with the Ministry's current _entanglements_ and Death Eaters lurking about, the Floo networks may no longer be our safest bet,' muttered Lupin, a slight edge to his tone. 'Looks as though the safest way back will be via Portkey.'

'I'm really glad you're alright,' Harry said gratefully, grinning broadly at Sirius and Lupin. 'We...I was really worried when you stopped contacting us.'

Sirius squeezed Harry's shoulder fondly. 'We had to keep quiet for some time. All for the better.' He glanced over at Tomoyo who sat beside Trunks and Chibiusa on the floor. 'I see that girl is very special to you.'

Harry followed his gaze and his face went red. 'Yeah. We're sort of going together now.'

Sirius nudged Harry slightly. 'Not the moment now, I fear. But after all of this, you will be able to live away from the Dursleys. We had discussed this before, but, Harry, you are welcome to come live with me.'

Harry gawped at him slightly. 'I can? It's...it's all I've wanted.' He then stared at Tomoyo and frowned contemplatively.

Lupin sighed. 'You oughta be careful getting the boy's hopes up, Sirius. As long as the officials keep spreading the lie around that _you_ _'_ _re_ responsible for the murder at the Asylum...'

Sirius scowled. 'Really, Remus, must you be a Negative Newt all the time? Everything will be fine once the Order's through with You-Know-Who.'

Lupin gave a disgruntled snort before crossing his arms. 'The Order, you say?'

The Order of course referred to the Order of the Phoenix, or rather the Phoenix Fighters.

Ron raised his eyebrows as he looked pensively at Lupin and Sirius. 'So, the only mystery left is the whereabouts of that great git, Dumbledore.'

Hermione bristled. 'Ron! You can't call him a git.'

'Well, where is he, then?' Ron replied with a shrug. 'He's pissed off somewhere, leaving us to figure out everything for ourselves with no advice at all. He's either a great git or a selfish arse. Which do you prefer?'

Hermione frowned. 'Still, to call him that is...'

Harry turned to Lupin who also shared a similarly disgruntled look to Hermione. 'Where might Dumbledore be, actually?'

Lupin set his greying eyebrows into a fine line. 'That is a great question. I'm afraid, Harry, this is something we don't know, either. No one has seen or heard from him since he stepped down from his post. At least, as far as I know.'

'Really?' Hermione gasped, glancing worriedly at the others. 'It doesn't mean that he's...'

'Dead? Of course not,' Lupin dismissed quickly. 'But the resignation was his idea. I would trust that he has some plan up his sleeves. In other words, a justifiable reason for secrecy.'

Harry scowled, 'But the Prophet said—'

'Oh, Harry, you know you can't believe anything in there. It's littered with nothing but half-truths since Scrimgeour took over,' exclaimed Seamus.

 _'_ _Who?_ _'_ Hermione and Harry bellowed in unison. Things had been happening so quickly back home, and the latest news it seemed never, in turn, came quickly enough.

'Merlin's pants,' Ron grumbled. 'Like I said, Dumbledore owes an explanation. Wherever he is!' he continued at a tangent. 'And furthermore — speaking of secrecy — bloody Malfoy? How do you justify that joke? Helping "us"? Biggest load of tosh there ever was.' He turned to look at Sakura with a scowl. 'And you were pretty quick to defend the rat, weren't you, Sakura? After all he's done?'

'Back off, Ron!' Syaoran snapped when he saw the sorrowful look on Sakura's face. 'A lot's happened tonight, ok? The last thing we need is for more fighting amongst us.'

Harry stared in silence. It was peculiar how Syaoran came to Sakura's defence in that moment. He recalled before he and Hermione had gone back in time with Time-Turner, he and Sakura had rowed over this very issue of Malfoy.

'Yeah, that's probably what the enemy wants,' Meiling said, having returned to a reasonable state.

Sakura stood up from the couch, her lower lip trembling. 'Um, sorry, everyone. But I need to lay down. I used a lot of magic tonight.'

'Oh, of course,' Ginny spoke for Dumbledore's Army, looking knowingly at Sakura. 'You were amazing. Hope you feel better.'

'Do you want me to come?' Syaoran offered gently, brushing her hand with his.

Sakura glanced at his face and squeezed his fingers briefly. 'Thank you. But I need to be alone for a bit.'

'I understand,' Syaoran said with a knowing look towards the twenty-odd people littered around the living room. 'Take your time.'

Sakura nodded appreciatively and padded out of the room and up the stairs.

* * *

On her way to her bedroom, Sakura paused at Draco's bedroom door, which had been left slightly ajar from their hurried exit earlier that evening. She sucked in a deep breath and pushed the door open, as though about to dive into the ocean.

She switched on the light, which exposed a simple but sophisticated layout of near-black wooden furnishings and a dark grey cover thrown over the bed. She cautiously stepped in, her feet sinking into the dark woven rug and sat on the bed. She took in the heady scents of sandalwood and musk. It was peaceful, but an uneasy kind of peace like the one resulting from the aftermath of conflict. And it was empty, lonely, like something was missing. Sakura stepped over to the wardrobe and peered inside: she regarded outlandish gothic clothing, and the assortment of costumes that he had worn of Tomoyo's make, including the purple Cheshire Cat costume, his silver sentai suit, and a simple silk kimono, and then finally his Seijou uniform.

She then turned away and glanced at the chair in the corner, where Draco's grey Snuggy was thrown on the arm, just covering a third pair of studded boots. She saw something shine, the bedroom light glancing off a white surface. On closer inspection it was a piece of photo paper, its surface waxy and shining. She sensed a concealment spell over it. She cast a revealing spell and gasped audibly. It was an enchanted picture, bright and colourful with autumn colours, of Draco and Meiling smiling and chatting with each other.

 _Draco really did love Meiling!_

Sakura looked around the room, feeling happier though lost. Something else shone on his dresser. She moved over and stared down at his Secrecy badge, pressed against yet another blank photo. She applied a revealing spell, and smiled with tears rising in her eyes: it was of Draco and Syaoran in their fourth year at Hogwarts, wearing identical smirks. It was slightly off-centre and out-of-focus with the slightest hint of the photographer's finger on the edge. She presumed it had been taken by either Crabbe or Goyle. Sakura picked up the Secrecy badge and held it beside the photo.

What had Dumbledore intended, when he had assigned the badge to Draco? She turned the badge in her hands and noticed a sliver of paper tucked into the pin on the back. she slipped it out and saw the familiar handwriting of Dumbledore, the same neat, green script that had invited her to attend Hogwarts all those years ago. What could it mean? She inspected it closer, sinking onto the bed.

The date was recent and addressed to Draco. Had Dumbledore and Draco been corresponding? At that moment she felt a wave of dizziness and fell back onto the bed, her hands quivering as she continued to clasp the Secrecy badge.

A vision suddenly overcame her, so vivid and terrifying that she emitted a soft scream.

She sprang up from the bed and feverishly shoved the badge and the photos into the first dresser drawer with a snap. She breathed sharply. Something seemed to tug at her conscience, as though prodding her back, daring her to turn around. Slowly, she turned fully and stared out the window: a crow, its sleek feathers backlit by the moon, stared at her, its eyes glittering from the bedroom light. She had never seen a crow so big, and there was something too intelligent about its eyes as it cawed silently from behind the glass. The crow stared at her once more then flew off from the window into the night.

Was it possible, she thought as she went to the window and opened it slightly. She leaned her forehead against the cool glass, staring at her slightly obscured reflection.

Could Karasu control animals, perhaps birds?

Sakura whispered, 'Follow the trail of black feathers and discover how the heart becomes blackened...'

The crow would lead her to Draco!

But how would she do it without the others noticing her gone? What if the others wanted to follow?

She shook her head resolutely: she would not expose the others to danger again. She would go alone.

She clutched the Sakura Key and the amethyst star necklace in concentration. She closed her eyes tightly and reached deep inside to remember, to recall that familiar feeling of sliding, changing, manipulating her form like clay. Like a caterpillar becoming a crystallise, and a crystallise becoming a butterfly, and a butterfly taking flight. Her fingers grew shorter and her back arched forward and her nose grew long. Her senses became heightened. Her skin prickled as hair shot out from her follicles.

She opened her eyes and stared at her reflection in the mirror: an auburn-coloured fox with liquid green eyes stared back. She still wore her Sakura key and star pendant. She shook her head briskly as she padded out of the window, carefully balancing on the window ledge and jumping down to the ground. She glanced back once more at the house and then bolted into the night.

* * *

It was 7:00am when Syaoran came thumping down the stairs and bursting into the living room. He stared with wide eyes as the others owlishly peeped back over their early breakfasts and tea. Dumbledore's Army, Lupin and Sirius had left earlier that morning.

'Sakura's gone!' he said, his face white.

Hermione lowered a piece of toast. 'What? Really?'

'That is not like Sakura,' Tomoyo said softly, standing.

'I should have gone up with her last night,' Syaoran groaned, frustrated with himself as he seemed to extend his senses outward. He growled. 'Damn it! I don't sense her anywhere in this street!'

'You mean, she just left? Where would she run off to?' Ron asked confusedly.

'What if she's been kidnapped?' Meiling said with a gasp, hands clapped over her mouth.

 _'_ _Kidnapped?_ _'_ sputtered Chibiusa disbelievingly, choking slightly.

'We have to find her,' Tomoyo said frantically. 'We don't know how long she's been gone.'

'I'm going to go look,' Syaoran said desperately, making his way towards the front entrance and sliding on his trainers. 'It's safer for everyone to stay here.'

'No, hold on, Syaoran,' Trunks said, trying to sound diplomatic. 'We have to think carefully about this. This is probably Karasu's doing.'

'From what happened last night, it is possible that Karasu penetrated the barrier somehow,' Hermione said, her face ashen with concern.

'I'll come with you,' Harry said resolutely as he also moved towards the door.

'Can everyone just hold on for a moment,' Trunks said seriously. 'This is probably another attempt to attack us. We have to be prepared.'

'While you're speculating, Sakura could be in danger!'' Syaoran snapped and twisted the door handle. 'There's no time to—' He turned towards the doorway and stiffened. 'MALFOY?!'

The others scrambled and squished into the entrance to see Draco Malfoy, looking unnaturally thin and pale as he glanced nervously around. He met all of their eyes with a tremor until he caught Trunks' and froze stiff.

'You're alive...' he breathed, looking stunned and perhaps, relieved.

Trunks raised an eyebrow. 'Funny way of saying hi?'

'Can I come in?' Draco said urgently, his grey eyes wide and watery as they shifted and met Meiling's.

Meiling stared coldly back at him, saying nothing.

'Well, if it isn't the two-faced bastard come to kill us all!' Ron said derisively over Syaoran's shoulder. 'It's a damn shame for you Trunks survived, isn't it — _YOU TWO-FACED BASTARD!'_

Draco shook his head, waving his hands frantically. 'N-No—'

'I'll kill you!' Harry roared angrily as he and Ron tried to shove past Syaoran to get at Draco's neck.

Hermione cast the Binding Spell on them, making their arms stiffen and Ron's body tilt back.

'Gerrof, 'Mione!' Ron choked out.

'LET ME GO! I WANT HIM DEAD!' Harry managed to yell against the binding, his voice hoarse.

Syaoran swiftly dodged Hermione's spell and pulled Draco into a chokehold, leaving him gasping and clawing at Syaoran's arm with his nails. 'It's your fault, isn't it, Malfoy?! You're responsible for Sakura's disappearance!'

'I would never hurt her! I swear on my life!' Draco choked, trying in vain to pry at Syaoran's arm, which was tight around his collar like a vice. 'I-I've come to — I know where Sakura is!'

Syaoran glared at him with righteous fury; Draco cringed, his eyes bulging with terror.

Meiling stepped forward and placed a hand on Syaoran's shoulder. 'Syaoran, let him go.'

Syaoran slowly turned to regard her. 'Shut the door behind us,' he instructed Meiling tonelessly.

Meiling obliged, and the others followed Syaoran into the living room. Chibiusa, Trunks and Tomoyo watched with shocked expressions, as Hermione used her spell to move Ron and Harry onto the couch.

Syaoran then promptly shoved Draco onto the floor. Draco's head bounced off the floor with a thud. He spluttered and rubbed his head furiously. He flinched when Syaoran raised his wand, pointing it like a knife beneath his chin. His gaze rose and he stared at Syaoran and then at Meiling, who stood beside her cousin with her arms folded.

'Talk,' Meiling said.

'You must believe me, that I would never hurt Sakura on purpose,' Draco said as he clasped his hands together, staring at them imploringly. 'But I did — I had no choice, I did tell her where Sakura was.'

'We all have choices,' Syaoran spat. 'You chose yourself, over us!'

'I didn't _choose_ anything. They restrained me, and my own father used _Veritaserum_ on me, and then I was _forced_ to tell!'

'Always trying to save your own skin by lying and being sneaky,' Ron riled, still under Hermione's binding. 'Just like a rat.'

Draco glanced at Harry and then back at Syaoran. 'I am telling the truth. You — You don't understand! Lady Karasu is unrelenting. She tortured my aunt to death right before my eyes! And I just know she's going to do the same thing to me!'

Hermione scoffed, crossing her arms. 'You mean your dear auntie, the Death Eater? My poor heart just bleeds for you.'

'THAT BITCH! I'M GLAD SHE'S DEAD!' Ron roared from his binding.

Hermione noticed that Draco looked upset, as though the death of Bellatrix Lestrange hurt somewhere deep down. His eyes were downcast. Hermione was taken aback. Something indeed had happened, something traumatising. Perhaps, it was worth it to hear what he had to say.

Harry hollered, spittle flying, 'You half-wit toss-pot! Why would you come here then? She'll come here looking for you — FOR ME!'

Draco grimaced at the insult, his neck pressing into Syaoran's wand as he turned to regard Harry with forced calm. 'It's not that simple. As long as I don't — well, that's not the point! The point is, I know where Sakura is and I can help you find her. At this stage, look, I don't have a choice, do I? The minute I step out that door, I'm dead!'

'Well, bloody get out then!' Harry roared.

Trunks glanced over at Harry nervously. 'Guys, this isn't right.'

Chibusa nodded, rubbing Tomoyo's shoulder gently. 'We're wasting time that we could be using to look for Sakura.'

Draco looked around the room and met Hermione's gaze. He scrunched his face, looking like he struggled internally. 'Come on, Granger. You're brilliant. You understand, don't you?'

Hermione stared wordlessly back at him.

Draco then looked back at Meiling, who continued to watch him coldly. 'Meiling,' he said gently, his eyes suddenly wet with tears. 'You know I'm telling the truth.'

Tomoyo glided away from Chibiusa and Trunks and stepped forward. 'We should listen to him,' she said. 'He's the only one who may know where Sakura is.'

'Tomoyo?!' Harry said desperately. 'No!'

'Well, what do we have to lose? We're not helping Sakura by torturing him, are we?' Trunks said.

Meiling suddenly started crying, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked away from Draco. 'Sakura could be dead, and we're all just standing around speaking with this traitor? I don't want to be part of this!'

She dashed off.

Tomoyo started, but Chibiusa shook her head. 'It's my turn to be there for her.' She followed after Meiling.

Draco slipped out from Syaoran's wand and sprang to his feet, his wand suddenly out and aimed.

'I TOLD YOU!' Harry cried. 'HE'S A TRAITOR!'

'Drop your wand,' Syaoran said as he and Draco stepped in an arch around each other like dials on a clock.

Draco shook his head once and flicked his wand. 'Drop yours.'

Syaoran sneered. 'You know how much of a mess you've made of Meiling? There's not enough WORDS in the dictionary—'

Draco's eyes softened slightly, but his wand remained erect. 'I never knew things would turn out like this.'

'Give me a break! You knew—she's a Squib! You've said so yourself! You know your family would never accept her and yet you led her on. She really cared about you.'

'I feel the same about her.'

'And so how do you show it? Running away with Daddy just like you ran from the dragon four years ago? You were always a coward, running like you always do when it gets tough.'

Draco glared. 'You ran too!' When Syaoran gawped at him, he sneered and continued, 'Who ran from Hogwarts, from Sakura? Evidently, you have no right to talk.'

Syaoran looked taken aback. 'I had no choice!' Rather than an exchange of spells, they entered an exchanging of words, which were just as burning and painful.

Draco shook his head, laughing incredulously. 'We ALL have choices. Sakura isn't a Pureblood, and you're right—Meiling's a Squib! But you know what? I never backed down. Sure I'm a hypocrite. Sure I'm no bloody saint, but at least now I'm being honest! And I'm here putting my life on the line!'

'Are you insane? What do you want? A freaking trophy? You know what you did back then? We near killed each other over Sakura. And I almost got expelled—for protecting you!'

'Fine!' Draco snapped. 'I'm sorry I never thanked you for what you did for me.'

'I don't want your "thanks"! After everything that happened at Hogwarts, I left her to you! And you brought her to the Shrieking Shack and almost had her mauled by a dragon!'

'How am I supposed to know there would be a dragon there? It's the bloody Weasley's fault in the first place—'

'Shut it! You left her there on her own and didn't help or anything!'

'I was 14! I was scared!'

Syaoran now laughed derisively. 'Pathetic excuse! We were _all_ 14! And you know I meant what I said back then and I mean it now—I will never forgive you! I will never forgive you for what you did to Sakura. I said I would kill you if you ever came near her again and I wish I had.'

Frustrated, Draco threw his wand down so that it rolled to a stop at Syaoran's feet. Syaoran stared down at it. He then looked up at Draco.

Draco shrugged, throwing his hands up fervently. 'Kill me then. Do it! It's not too late. Everything would be better wouldn't it? If I just piss off right now, it'll bring Sakura back, right? That would solve everything, yeah?'

Syaoran's eyes widened. He was silent.

Draco rubbed his face tiredly and slumped onto the couch beside a still bound Harry and Ron, who looked agitated that they could not move away. 'The truth is, I need you and you need me.' He gazed at Syaoran, his tone again imploring. 'Li — no — _Syaoran_ — I'm sorry for everything that happened. I'm sorry I wasn't a good friend to you. You know I never say sorry — but I'm saying it, aren't I? You have to get over the past and you have to trust me.'

Syaoran's eyes narrowed again. 'Screw trusting you.'

Hermione made a tutting sound and came forward, her wand still trained on Harry and Ron as she moved to become a physical barrier between Syaoran and Draco. 'Now, Syaoran, we need to be reasonable. In spite of everything, he is the best option we have right now.'

Syaoran looked at Hermione as though she had betrayed him. 'Screw this,' he muttered and stormed out of the room and out the front door.

'I'll go after him,' Trunks said as he glanced at Tomoyo, who nodded. Rubbing the back of his head gingerly, dashed after Syaoran.

Hermione cautiously knelt down, retrieved Draco's wand and extended it out to him like an olive branch. Draco startled and, also cautious, accepted his wand. As though to gain more ballots, he slid his wand into the pocket of his robe sleeve and nodded gently. 'Thanks.'

'Now,' Hermione said, giving Harry and Ron a scornful look. 'I'll only release you both if you promise to not touch him.'

Harry and Ron exchanged a tired and angered look, but both nodded sullenly, knowing that Hermione could simply recast the Binding Spell at her leisure. Their entire forms relaxed as though a puppeteer had sliced through a network of puppet strings. They turned to stare at Draco warily.

'Well, what's the plan then?' Harry asked grudgingly.

* * *

Syaoran started towards the front gate, muttering to himself, 'If they won't listen. _Fine._ I'll find Sakura myself.'

'You're not going to get very far,' Trunks called after him as Syaoran stopped at the gate.

Syaoran turned around to stare at Trunks in surprise.

'With that attitude,' Trunks continued, 'you really aren't being much different from him.'

'What do you mean?' Syaoran snapped. 'I'm not betraying anyone.'

Trunks crossed his arms and shrugged. 'Maybe not. But you know, being judgemental and self-righteous? Maybe it isn't entirely his fault.' He inclined his head. 'I can relate to that. It really seemed as though his father was pressuring him. Maybe he really never wanted to be the way he is. '

Syaoran paused and turned to glare past the gates out into the street. Their neighbour, the perpetually nameless old man, walked by with his dog. He glanced past thick glasses at Syaoran's glaring face and sprinted away in a hurry.

Syaoran's shoulders sank as he turned to stare angrily at Trunks. 'Look, just stay out of it, alright?'

Trunks' eyes narrowed. 'I have the right to speak my opinion.'

Syaoran growled back, 'You haven't a clue what you're talking about.'

Trunks made an exasperated sound and threw his arms up. 'Fine! You want to be like this, then go ahead. But he's right. We have no choice but to trust him right now. This — what you're doing? It won't bring Sakura back, and if Sakura was here you _know_ she would give him a chance.'

Syaoran stared down at his feet, his eyes squinted in frustration. 'I-I can't forgive him...because of him, Sakura might be...'

Trunks continued resolutely, 'She gave Draco a chance. She gave me a chance. She even gave you one. All of us are here because of Sakura. We owe her this!'

Syaoran's head shot up, his eyes round and shining with revelation. He huffed agitatedly and took a step towards the house. 'You're right,' he said as though defeated. He followed Trunks inside.

* * *

Syaoran and Trunks returned to the group to find that Harry and Ron had been freed from their binding, although Hermione tapped her wand warningly against her arm.

Draco glanced at Syaoran nervously then told them about Karasu's strategy. He clarified that the battles they had encountered over the year had been a diversion, as she had not meant to kill them but to learn each of their weaknesses. To their horror, all of the creatures and beings were really part of a coalition of interdimensional villains seeking to control all of the worlds. They made a pact to help Karasu in return for protection and their own power.

'Merlin's split ends,' Ron muttered as he exchanged a horrified glance with Harry. 'They've been rallying for ages. I can't believe it.'

Draco nodded fervently and continued. He told them that Team Rocket had informed Karasu about Sakura's weakness, which was that using too many of the Cards drained her power. In particular, the use of multiple Cards at once. Madoushi had revealed that her other weakness was her best friend, Tomoyo and in turn, Harry's weakness as well.

Tears welled in Tomoyo's eyes as she gasped softly, 'I've put Sakura in danger!'

Hermione shook his head. 'That's why they knew to target Trunks with the Dementors...'

'What about Cell?' Trunks queried. 'He was surely going to kill us!'

Draco looked around at them all. 'I'm not sure. I think some of them went rogue. But Lady Karasu has used all the times that we battled to not only gain intel but to also gain her strength. She was buying time until she could prove herself to the Dementors of Azkaban that she could confidently lead a rebellion. This is because ...the Dark Lord has been reportedly dead for years.' His eyes bulged as he whimpered. He clutched his head and shuddered. 'He's not.'

They all stared at him in silence. Syaoran shifted his weight from one foot to the other. 'What do you mean, "he's not"?'

Draco moved his gaze to Syaoran's stern expression and whispered, 'There's a skull that Karasu holds, protects. His spirit resides in it, I believe similar in a way to Tom Riddle's diary.' He slid off the couch and slumped on the floor, rocking forward into his clammy palms. 'Sometimes though I think he's actually dwelled within Karasu's body. Taken control. It's sick...It makes me sick.'

He shook as he continued in a quivering voice, 'We're... _you_ _'_ _re_ the last line of defence: the Phoenix Fighters. If he eliminates us, then he'll be able to regain his physical form, and it's just...it's just ...I don't know what will happen.'

He looked up just as Chibiusa and Meiling entered the room. Chibiusa moved to stand beside Tomoyo and Meiling stood beside Syaoran. Meiling clutched two photographs. Draco's eyes widened as Meiling showed Syaoran the photos.

It was silent for a moment as Syaoran's eyes flicked between the two images, his irises widening and narrowing like a camera lens. He then looked over them at Draco, his expression unreadable.

'Where is Sakura?' Syaoran finally asked, although in a gentler tone from earlier.

Draco straightened. 'She's—'

At that moment, the gate bell sounded, like a hornet buzzing over their heads.

Harry and Tomoyo scrambled to peer at the intercom.

'What on Earth! Who's that?' Harry muttered from the entrance.

* * *

The shrill screams sounded far away, almost dulled to a distant ringing in her ears as she physically fought against the searing pain coursing through her skin, through her flesh, through her bones down to the marrow until she was husked out and brittle like kindling. But sometimes when she was coherent, and she could see out of tear-blurred slits, she recognised the screams as her own, channeling from her throat until she was hoarse.

Sakura was wrapped in invisible bindings that cut and bruised like any steel chains, suffocating her body like a constricting snake whose muscles coiled more and more tightly. She lay on cold, damp earth, her clothes and hair soiled.

She was tired and she was weak. But she would not relent. She would not relinquish the Cards to Karasu. She knew each of their names, their natures, loves, weaknesses and vices. She loved each one individually. Those 52 beautiful and wild spirits that fed off and channeled her life energy. They were like her children.

 _'_ _Everyone_ _…_ _I promise I won_ _'_ _t give up._ _'_

In spite of her pain, she smiled as she heard a gentle chorus of 52 voices encouraging her to carry on.

'Card Mistress! Give them to me!' Karasu shrieked in frustration, her banshee cry vibrating through Sakura's skull.

Sakura saw every decipherable colour on the spectrum in a dazzling and painful array.

And then she suddenly felt a floating sensation. It was as though every worry in her head was gently wiped away, like the dusty film off a surface. She was left with nothing but a vague, untraceable happiness. Everything would surely be alright.

* * *

The girl had hay yellow hair fastened by red ribbons into messy buns on either side of her head. She wore half-moon glasses on a long nose and a black Victorian dress cascading across the floor. In spite of her slight form, she possessed a great power that broiled from within as she stepped over the threshold and into their home. She stared piercingly around at them and finished on Harry.

'My name is Sena...Robin Sena,' she began in a serious tone. 'I've been sent by Solomon to assist the Phoenix Fighters in recovering the Card Mistress, Sakura Kinomoto.'

Everyone exchanged confused, bewildered looks.

'Solomon?' Hermione asked.

'Allow me to explain, briefly. Solomon is a global organization that captures witches. I am a Witch Hunter.' At noticing their guarded stances and horrified looks, she half-smiled, perhaps in reassurance. 'Not to worry, neither of you have been deemed a threat. There is, however, a special breed of witches I am after. It seems at the present time, being led by Lady Karasu.'

'Death Eaters?' asked Hermione.

Robin shook her head. 'No, something else all together. Also, you should know that STN-J, the local branch, has been working behind the scenes. In case you might have at all wondered who's been cleaning up your mess for the last few months.'

Their graduation party and the attack from Naraku's demons. The incident with Cell in Kara Town. Gaara and the Sand Siblings at the nightclub. Even the Heartless at the mall, the first in a string of related happenings that plagued their many months in Japan. There were so many hidden actors, weren't there? Ones they hadn't even considered.

'You mean Japan's Ministry for Magic?' Harry questioned.

'Solomon allies with craft users, but is not run by them. The organization is unlike the Ministry but is very good at what it does,' Robin said quietly.

'STN-J are Muggles?' Ron sputtered, glimpsing at the others. 'Are you a witch who hunts witches for Muggles?'

Robin hesitated, seeming weary of answering.

'Wait. How do we know we can trust you?' asked Harry, frowning tersely as Syaoran nodded with shared scepticism.

'You don't,' Robin said softly as she turned on her heel, ready to leave them behind.

They quickly exchanged frantic looks.

'She's the only lead we have at this point, save for rat boy here,' Ron muttered, nodding at Draco who remained slumped on the floor.

'The Devil we know, or the Devil we don't, then?' Harry said with a cynical pitch, crossing his arms. 'Great options, we've got here.'

Syaoran was unusually silent, looking as though he were wrestling with too many thoughts at once. The others seemed uncertain as well.

'We've got to find Sakura,' Tomoyo said resolutely and headed towards the door.

'No, Tomoyo...not again,' Harry whispered and held her back. 'You don't...you will…'

'Don't try and stop me!' Tomoyo shouted, startling him. She looked at him stubbornly, beads of tears starting in her eyes. 'Sakura is precious to me. I must be there. We are stronger all together.'

'She's right. Let's go,' Meiling said resolutely. 'Syaoran, come on!'

Syaoran nodded briskly and lead the others out the door and after Robin.

* * *

The area they were headed towards, as it turned out, was just on the outskirts of Kotou Takinou, the Japanese wizarding village. Draco had informed them that Karasu's lair was somewhere nearby, though he was sure they had since changed locations. The group of nine, including their new "leader", Robin, skulked along the pavement with discerning eyes. It was Spring. It was early morning. And yet it was dark as night with a familiar spine-tingling chill in the air.

'Where is everyone?' Chibiusa as Sailor Chibi Moon whispered, voice trembling.

Tomoyo nodded thoughtfully. You're right, it's unusually quiet even for this early hour.'

'Muggle Repelling Charms?' Hermione said suggestively. 'But then I wonder who's cast them.'

'No,' Draco rasped. 'It's something else…'

The air suddenly became thick and heavy, with a fog so dense it was difficult to see and breathing itself became a conscious effort. Meiling was the first to sink to the ground, then Tomoyo. Once Trunks too began wheezing, eyes darting apprehensively, hands clutching at his temples where beads of sweat were forming, they realised at once what was happening. Harry looked up and saw them, in the sky, hovering above them en masse.

'OH HELL! LOOK UP!'

Stifling their initial instincts to scream, Harry, Hermione, Ron and Draco's wands shot into the air, their Patronuses striking the swooping Dementors, dispelling them back. Robin focused her gaze and a flame shot out, incinerating and piercing their flock. Remnants of black fibres and charred matter rained down on them like a morbid shower. Feeling sickened, Harry withheld his urge to wretch; but the others wouldn't be as resilient. Chibi Moon keeled over and vomited instantly, triggering the domino effect. Tomoyo followed, then Ron. Even Trunks was down on all fours, face shining with perspiration. If this was meant as a distraction, paralysing them and stalling their reflexes, it had worked. Without warning, the Phoenix Fighters were then started upon by a swarm of Death Eaters, their laughter like demonic horses wickering in the dark. They exchanged several blows in a flurry.

'They aren't using wands,' Hermione gasped, frantically casting defensive spells but nonetheless frightened by their odd, shifting movements.

A single, fully-cloaked Death Eater stepped forward. The air around him pulsed as though it were a force field. As his leering eyes passed over them, his face resembled a theatre mask with bulging, upturned eyes and face stretching into an exaggerated, elongated grin.

'These are the kind of witches I spoke of. Step back,' Robin warned.

Not a second had passed before his aura pulsed again, striking them with pain in a succession of sonic waves. But the pain was internal. It was as though their bodies were being wrenched, organs compacted together, as though attacked by gravity itself. They let out a blood-curdling shrieks and howls. The waves then stopped, leaving them gasping, clutching their chests desperately, everything happening so quickly they hadn't a moment to consider what had just happened.

The Death Eater turned and swept his arm dramatically, his wicked laughter carrying in the wind. He was directing a second wave at them. Wincing, Robin side-stepped his advances. Frowning tersely with concentration, a rush of flames manifested from around her, spreading like wildfire, knocking back the Death Eater's oncoming waves.

Finally seeming to overcome the residual effects of the Dementors, Trunks lifted shakily to his feet, throwing a ki blast towards the oncoming Death Eaters.

'I sense a strong presence — that way,' Syaoran shouted, pointing towards a sidestreet.

'Sakura?' Tomoyo and Meiling wondered in unison.

'I'll hold them off, the rest of you go on,' Trunks grunted, gesturing towards the remaining cloaked attackers. He blazed towards them, engaging them in hand-to-hand combat. He had the upperhand in strength and stealth, knocking them back before they could retaliate or evade with magic.

Chibi Moon exhaled deeply. 'I'll stay back as well.' At seeing the perplexed and worried faces of her comrades, she added, 'In case there are Dementors, Trunks will need the support.'

Understanding it finally, Hermione, Harry and Ron cast a shield spell to encase the rest of the group as they bounded on toward and through the borders separating the Muggle world and Kotou Takinou.

'Wait, something isn't right. It looks different,' Hermione said with a certain edge in her tone, glancing at their surroundings.

'Blimey. I have a bad feeling about this. It's almost like if we're in a bad dream,' Ron muttered.

Harry had a stern look on his face as he regarded Meiling and Tomoyo. 'Hold on. If we're in a wizard village, how did you two pass through the magical barrier?' Harry's eyes then darted discriminatingly towards Draco.

'Something doesn't add up,' Hermione began.

Syaoran didn't wait to hear their musings. He was off like a slingshot. They ran frantically behind him. They came to what looked like an abandoned building, its structure resembling a temple. After peering through several empty rooms, that appeared carved from the inside, they found her. She lay on her side, her clothes and face smeared with dirt as her arms and legs were bound from behind. Syaoran ran towards her, his wand lighting the way as he yelled, 'Sakura!'

Sakura's eyes opened slightly as she cried, 'Stop! It's a trap!'

Harry felt an overwhelming sense of déjà vu as he and the others looked around. It was like his was like when he had rescued Tomoyo, but nobody but him knew it.

Ron guarded Syaoran's back as he undid Sakura's binds.

Harry cast wand light around the dilapidated space. Was it just an optical illusion of light gliding over uneven surfaces, or were the walls rippling like the surface of water?

'No...' Sakura murmured weakly as Syaoran lifted her clumsily into his arms.

'Okay, I've got her. Let's go,' Syaoran said.

They started to run for the entrance, but stopped when Tomoyo yelped.

Harry turned swiftly and strengthened _Lumos_. Geometrical lines, like an eagle's view of a labyrinth, appeared in shallow grooves beneath their shoes. The ground started to quake, rumbling as though a train dashed under them. The walls warped and stretched.

Sakura started laughing in Syaoran's arms, her eyes suddenly glassy like a doll's. Syaoran looked down at her as she lifted her head and smirked at them all. 'I told you it was a trap,' she said in a matter-of-fact tone and then materialised into a young girl with pale green hair, holding a round hand mirror.

'The Mirror!' Syaoran muttered as the girl dissipated like mist, swirling tauntingly around them as the ground beneath them splintered. Sharp boulders shot out in random directions, knocking them off their feet and causing them to fall against the wavering walls.

'Everyone, brace yourselves!' Robin called in an authoritative manner, her gloved hands raised.

'Harry!' Tomoyo cried out as she fell backwards. He desperately reached for her hands, but was thrown back by an offensive spell. He landed on his back, hard. Seeing stars, Harry staggered to his feet.

A tall, thin woman with billowing purple robes and long dark hair slid towards them, her laughter like the sound of a church bell smashing against a brick wall. She stopped before them, smiling malevolently.

'The Dark Raven, Karasu...' Harry murmured.

Draco didn't speak, his jaw slack and eyes wild with fear.

Meiling held up her fists defensively, though their rattling betrayed her unease. 'I was picturing someone older.'

' _He_ must keep her young,' Hermione said quietly, referring to Voldemort as she raised her wand. 'Dark magic.'

'Draco, _thank you_ ,' Lady Karasu said wickedly, tapping a wand to her thin face. 'I couldn't have done it without you.'

Draco brought up his hands. 'L-Lady, Dark Raven, I'll take care of it! I promise, just don't...'

'YOU RAT TRAITOR!' Ron hollered.

'I thought you to be bright like your father,' Karasu continued, her eyes sliding over Draco, then Meiling, who shivered visibly. 'But you insist on running with this Squib and Mudblood. Pathetic.'

'I know I messed up b-but if you just give me more time...' Draco pleaded.

'More time? More time for _what?'_ Harry blurted as Syaoran stared incredulously.

Robin didn't wait for anything to happen. She focused her gaze and long, lapping flames erupted and encased Karasu. The others watched on nervously as the golden fire continued to dance and surged bigger, stronger, until their eyes stung from the heat and brilliance of it.

Suddenly Karasu's laughter overcame the roaring of the fire, which was split down the middle like sliced butter and dissipated. Karasu emerged unscathed.

Robin stepped back, looking alarmed. 'It can't be.'

'Now, we must not be rude to our guests,' Karasu continued cruelly. 'Sakura, dear, show them to their seats.'

Karasu flicked her wand. They heard soft footfalls and Sakura appeared from behind the woman's robes. She was like an apparition of a water nymph, her hair, clothing and face speckled with grime, making her eyes luminous and appear to glitter like emeralds. But she regarded them calmly, her expression blank and indifferent, her eyes devoid of true emotion. She gripped the Star Wand tightly in one hand, a hand of five cards splayed open in the other.

 _'Windy!'_ Sakura called. A torrent of wind spun from her wand and pulled the Phoenix Fighters and Robin into a funnel, making them land and drag along the ground.

'Sakura!' Tomoyo cried as she clung to Harry.

'She's using Imperius to control Sakura!' Hermione called and cast _'_ _Expelliarmus!_ _'_ at Karasu.

Sakura stepped in front of Karasu and summoned Shield, forming a yellow shell that deflected their attacks. Sakura flicked out two cards that hovered before her and raised her wand.

 _'MAZE!'_ Sakura yelled and struck her wand on the cards.

Everything around them started to shimmer, like morning light shimmering over a body of water, light dazzling and blinding. The light solidified into deep green walls that grew tall and vanished into the dark above them.

Harry threw himself forward, latched onto Tomoyo's arm and pulled her down roughly just as she was lifted onto one of the expansive walls that continued to grow into the air. The atmosphere around them was simultaneously too hot and too cold as they ran down a narrowing corridor.

At last the walls set like dried clay, and everything was silent.

* * *

Harry breathed raggedly as he stared through smudged glasses. They took stock of their surroundings. It was just Tomoyo and him.

Tomoyo gripped Harry's arm and looked about desperately. 'The others are gone,' she whispered.

Harry scanned the area and thought that it was worth calling out. 'Ron! Hermione!'

'Harry? Mate, we're over here!' he heard Ron call from somewhere far away.

'Alright, Ron? Who are you with?' Harry asked.

Ron was silent for a moment. 'Syaoran and me. Are you alone?'

'With Tomoyo. Hey Syaoran, can you sense the others?' Harry asked, feeling hopeful.

Suddenly, Ron's cry ripped through the air.

'RON!' Syaoran exclaimed.

Something had happened. Harry felt dread seep through his entire body. His best friend …

It suddenly turned ice cold, their breaths escaping in white clouds before their faces.

It hurt to breathe, the cold numbing their limbs and pressing against their chests, but Harry and Tomoyo grasped frantically at the walls, trying in vain to find some sort of groove or opening. Feeling a rising sense of terror, Harry tried to cast a revealing spell and then an attack spell. But there was no way to climb or get through in time. The cold was becoming unbearable now, the once quiet passageway now rushing loudly with a chilled gust of wind. The gale passed right through them, soaking them to the bone. White splodges, like fallen cherry blossom petals, scattered around them, clinging to their hair and their clothes. Was this a Sakura Card?

'It-It's the Snow!' Tomoyo groaned out. 'This card nearly killed S-Sakura!'

This was not good. They huddled close together, their teeth chattering as they strained to listen for Ron and Syaoran. They thought they heard Syaoran cry out a spell, but his voice carried away on the cool passing wind, which was now picking up so rapidly that they were sliding on their feet.

'R-Ron!' Harry screamed into the wind.

'Syaoran!' Tomoyo cried out.

There was no response.

Harry felt his eyes sting with angry tears and squinted down at Tomoyo. He could not do anything for Ron and Syaoran, but he could save Tomoyo.

Gripping Tomoyo's shoulder, Harry raised his arm and cast _Conflagration_ , his wand channeling a burst of fire that exploded in a fiery ball and rolled into the thick of the snow storm.

There was a burst of steam, tendrils of evaporating water winding around them as though the spell had hit something solid. The snow storm gradually ceased and exposed a tall regal woman, her skin, hair and flowing kimono a stark white. She glared at them through pearlescent eyes, her aura burning purple.

Harry gained his footing and stood up, baring Tomoyo's weight on his hip. He concentrated and cast _Flagrate_ , drawing two loops of red flames in the air and flicked his wand, thrusting the fiery loops like manacles to restrain the spirit. Upon contact the flaming rings encircled the woman and constricted around her kimono, steam pouring from her form in hot vapoury ribbons. Harry felt Tomoyo continue to shiver at his side. Rage welling in his chest, he flicked his wand again and again, sending more fiery hoops to ensnare the card spirit, wanting it to hurt, wanting it to suffer.

The Snow contorted and screamed soundlessly as she collapsed to the ground, the chain of flaming rings obscuring most of her form as she writhed, steam continuing to form all around them.

'Harry! Harry, _stop!_ ' Tomoyo screamed. Harry raised his wand once more, but felt Tomoyo's attempt to pry the wand from his fingers. He stared heatedly down at her, then felt a pang of sorrow.

'You've stopped it. It's done,' she said softly, tears winking in her eyes.

Harry clenched his jaw and regarded the Snow. The white spirit had no means of recovering, now laying limp on the ground. He turned to Tomoyo and kissed her forehead.

Snow's form became blurred around the edges, as though she were a painting diluted with oil. Then her form erupted in a flash of white, like confetti and swirled up above them.

The wall to their right suddenly started to ripple like the surface of a pond's broken surface, the green flickering and becoming semi-transparent. Harry poked the opening with his wand and found that it passed through smoothly. He then cautiously pushed through his arm up to his shoulder and pulled it out.

'I think we can get through,' he said and took her hand. Together they moved through the opening and found themselves in a new corridor and several feet before them, a flight of steps. They visually followed the steps down and up, and were surprised to see that they folded in on themselves. It reminded Harry of something he had read in a textbook at Muggle school, several months before he had gotten the letter to Hogwarts. It was like the Penrose staircase optical illusion.

'It's not real,' Harry muttered.

'This...this isn't just the Maze,' Tomoyo uttered, her eyes widening. 'This is the Illusion. It's not like combining attacks with the cards, but she's somehow merged them into one.' Tomoyo shook her head. 'At this rate, she will be drained of power.'

'That's likely Karasu's strategy,' Harry whispered and took her hand. 'When Sakura caught the Illusion, what did she do?'

'She saw it for what it truly is. It has no form,' Tomoyo said and raised her foot to place it down on the first step. Harry jolted to catch her, but was stunned to see that her foot was planted firmly, hovering above the first step! Tomoyo met his gaze with a confident smile. 'We haven't left the ground.'

* * *

Robin and Hermione dashed down the wide corridor, their shadows extending up the seemingly infinite expanse of the maze walls. They leapt and stumbled in a clumsy dance as they avoided the lethal whips of the Earthy's tail, which looked like a rope woven from clumps of earth. The spirit had manifested as a large dragon hewn from mottled boulders, a chaotic creature that shook the earth, its roar echoing painfully in their ears.

Hermione desperately cast _Protego_ to shield Robin and herself from another swing of the tail of Earthy. The impact to the shield spell sent them sprawling against the maze wall.

Robin turned and glared over her half-moon lenses, air wavering around her as golden flames materialised in an arch over her head. She clenched her teeth and then thrust her hands forward as a tide of flames lapsed over Earthy. The heat of her attack rounded the Earthy's jagged edges, as though polishing a precious jewel. The Earthy roared, its maw a mess of jagged rocks and snapped.

Hermione cast a jinx, hitting Earthy to the side of its face, the spell deflecting off the pitted eye and bouncing off the maze wall. Earthy heaved its body forward and stomped down, its claw catching on the hem of Hermione's dress. Hermione yelped and fell forward.

Robin grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her roughly forward, and they ran, Earthy stomping rapidly after them. It was gaining distance.

'It's no use to fight, we'll just lose power. Cast a binding spell; I hear you're excellent at those.'

Hermione racked her mind through a lexicon of charms. At last, like plucking a budding flower from an overhanging branch, she found one. She twisted her arm over her torso and pointed the wand like a gun to Earthy's broad rocky frame. _'_ _Petrificus Totalus!_ _'_

Earthy suddenly froze, as though suspended in mid-air, before collapsing heavily onto its side, its mouth still agape in mid-roar.

They halted their tracks. Robin cracked her knuckles and summoned another bouquet of flames and cast it over Earthy. Earthy's form glowed red, like it was a single hot ember, and faded, resembling a nightmarish glass sculpture. Hermione considered that because Earthy was made from earth, it also contained sand, and this aspect of its form had allowed Robin to change it to glass.

Robin dusted off her hands and looked around. 'Now that that's taken care of, we need a revealing spell,' Robin continued. 'Granger, you're one of the smartest witches of our age. Think hard.'

Hermione gasped softly, raised her wand and shouted, _'_ _Dissendium!_ _'_

The walls to their left and right started to drip like melting wax, different colours oozing through in layers.

They craned their necks up as they continued to run and saw that the maze seemed to curve around on itself, as they saw seemingly infinite steps, tunnels and passageways scatter above them.

'It's like a M. C. Escher painting!' Hermione gasped.

'There! Do you see the others?' Robin yelled and pointed above them.

They saw Syaoran and Ron barely inches escaping from the shimmering electrical ribbons of the Thunder Card.

* * *

Thunder roared and unleashed a powerful electric attack that lapsed over the two Phoenix Fighters. Ron collapsed heavily over Syaoran, shielding him from the majority of the attack. Syaoran dug his fingers deep into the earth to gently slide Ron, who seemed to be unconscious, off of him. Syaoran rolled Ron over and cast _'_ _Fukka Shourai_ _'_ , a strong wind spell that redirected Thunder's raging aura. Syaoran felt a rush of dread.

Ron was burnt across his upper body, his clothes hanging in crispy tatters over his chest and arms, and a pattern like lightning riddled the exposed flesh.

Syaoran growled, threw his hand up and yelled, _'_ R _aitei Shourai_! _'_

Syaoran's own lightning attack countered Thunder's, creating a miasma of white and blue light, the electrical current making the hair on Syaoran's arms stand on end. Syaoran felt the Thunder's resistance, straining to regard the beast of pure energy, its form glowing slightly purple. Karasu was orchestrating all of this. He couldn't let her have the satisfaction.

Syaoran cried ' _Suiryuu Shourai!_ ' and cast water to strengthen his own attack.

With a final jolt of power, he forced Thunder down like a bull reigned by the horns. Thunder collapsed onto its side with a guttural moan. Its glowing form suddenly retracted into a small glowing ball and shot up like a firework into the dark above them. It was gone.

Breathing heavily, Syaoran pivoted on his heel and cast a fearful look back at Ron. The other boy was not moving. In desperation he shot light, like a rescue signal, from the tip of his wand. The light erupted and exploded above him. He gaped openly, staring above them in disbelief.

It almost reminded Syaoran of Hogwarts and its confounding rotating staircases. There were several clusters of figures rushing through the complicated turns and bends of the maze above them. It was the others! He spun on his heel and dropped to Ron's side. Ron's face was deathly pale. Syaoran gritted his teeth, wishing that he had mastered healing spells.

* * *

Meiling didn't look directly at Draco as they walked down the quiet maze walkway, their shoes imprinting softly across the caked earth, guided by the light of Draco's wand. After what seemed like hours they came to a right turn in the maze and started following the path.

Meiling huffed under her breath, simultaneously afraid and irritated. 'Why?' she asked, flipping hair over her shoulder and stopping to block his path.

Draco looked at her carefully. 'What?'

She turned and glared at him. She was given pause by the way his wand light gave him a hollowed out look, as though he had been carved from stone. He looked on edge, but she wasn't sure if it was from her or from the hidden corners of the maze.

'Why would you betray us?' she asked, her voice sounding oddly soft coming from her own mouth.

Draco remained silent for a long time, and Meiling felt a looming sense of impatience. Just when she thought he wasn't going to answer, he spoke in a quiet, measured tone. 'I didn't.'

Meiling was livid. 'Are you serious? You're just going to lie again? What the hell is wrong with you?' Her face grew hot with fury and shame. She knew it was the least appropriate timing, but she had to know. 'If you can't be straightforward why are you here? You said you wanted to be different and yet…''

Draco's arms stiffened, and his neck made an audible crack as he turned to her. Their eyes locked in the most uncomfortable of stares. 'This really isn't the time to be discussing this.'

 _'_ No!' Meiling snapped, eyes flashing. 'This is precisely the time! You knew this would happen and I need to know why... _why_ did you kiss me back then? Why me?'

She referred to their first kiss. The first time they expressed feelings for each other.

Draco's eyes widened and he dropped his gaze to her shoulder. He frowned deeply, his brow set in a crease. 'Why? I wonder it myself. What could someone like me do with a girl like you? I've wondered it and I've felt guilty. But there you were...always beautiful...fascinating...intelligent and even without magic, so brave. At the same time, you were dangerous. Forbidden.' His silvery eyes snapped up to catch hers, piercing. 'We spent time together. I got to know you. And before I knew it, I realised...' He trailed off, his expression stern and cold as ice. He didn't look able to say more.

All rational thought left Meiling's mind as her eyes welled with tears. She hated herself. _She hated him._ She couldn't reason as to whether what he said was a compliment or pure insult. But it was the truth, wasn't it? It was _his_ truth. The truth was what she wanted to hear. Or so she thought.

'So, I was just a joke to you? Then all this? This hell we've been put through, was all fun for you as well? Telling me you loved me was a lie, helping us was a lie... What about you isn't put on, tell me that?!' She gestured around them as she sobbed.

Draco turned not facing her but focusing it seemed on the maze wall. 'I just...I'm sorry. There's nothing else I can say.'

Meiling swiped at her eyes and turned away. She heard a gentle trickle of water from somewhere in the dark. She squinted her eyes and fell backwards as a blue, liquid body rushed towards them. Its form translucent like water and genderless, the Watery Card surged towards them, its mouth exposing icicle incisures as water sprayed out in all directions.

Draco swung his wand in an elaborate gesture and cast an offensive spell at Watery.

The Watery spirit hissed and pulled upward and vanished into the dark above them. It was silent for a moment, and then muddy water rushed in all around them, lifting them off their feet as they were buoyed on the surface, spluttering.

'Draco!' Meiling cried out as he was forcibly pulled under water. The sudden movement released his wand and left it floating atop, _Lumos_ lighting up the water like an eerie fish tank.

Meiling paddled about and shrieked, trying to see Draco through the murky water. At last she saw a dark form, like a watery ink smudge somewhere several feet under. She inhaled, her lunges full of air and plunged down. Her hearing was immediately dulled, and her eyes stung with the muddied water. She dived down, using her strong arms to propel her forward. She suddenly observed, with horror, as Draco was being lassoed to the bottom of the maze by his foot, a tight, swirling water spout holding him in place. Draco thrashed as his robes swirling around him like a deranged fish.

 _He_ _'ll_ _drown!_ Meiling thought with terror and raised her fists. She pooled her energy into her centre and concentrated on pulling it through her chest, down her arms and welling into her fists. She released several ki blasts, slicing through the water funnel with hot white energy. The funnel faded and released Draco, who seemed to be on the brink of blacking out.

Meiling thrust her legs down and reached for Draco's waist. His robes weighted him down like cement. She slipped the robes off of Draco, wrapped an arm around his waist and hurtled towards the surface.

They broke the surface and gasped for air. When they had resumed normal breathing, they saw that the water had risen and brought them to the top level of the maze walls. Draco reclaimed his wand, still lighting up the water, and they scrambled onto the thick, solid maze wall.

As Meiling wringed her sodden pigtails, Draco turned to regard her. His eyes were so gentle, softly reflecting the light of his wand. He leaned forward. His mouth was cold and wet from the water, but his kiss was warm and yearning.

Meiling stiffened from the contact.

Draco drew away and smiled. 'Thanks.'

Suddenly his eyes widened and became glassy, as though his spirit had left his body. He was suddenly pulled into the air by an invisible hand.

Meiling shakily stood to her feet and screamed, 'DRACO!'

She gaped all around, suddenly registering the geometrical, green expanse of the maze above her head. The other Phoenix Fighters scrambled in different sections of the maze, like Pacman moving about a computer screen.

* * *

'SAKURA!' Syaoran cried.

Sakura had appeared like an archangel descending from the heavens, her form iridescent like mother of pearl as she held out her wand, the Cards dashed around her in infinite circles, her hair a wild flurry, and her eyes wide and illuminating like neon lights. Dark energy wavered all around her, thick and fetid. The terrifying sight was overlaid by the derisive cackle of Lady Karasu.

'Playtime is over,' Karasu's voice crooned, sending a shiver through the Phoenix Fighters. 'Sakura, dear, you know what to do.'

Sakura lifted her Star Wand high. The wings on either side of the wand's star unfurled and burst into large raven's wings, framing Sakura's form. Sleek black feathers cascaded down all around the maze like volcanic ash.

Syaoran stared in horror at Sakura.

Karasu was going to make Sakura kill her friends, her loved ones. If Sakura ever broke free from Karasu's control, she would not be able to survive with the weight of what she had been forced to do. Syaoran couldn't let that happen. Would not let that happen.

'SAKURA!' he yelled, clenching his fists at his sides as he stared up at her determinedly. 'I KNOW SHE HAS HURT YOU SO MUCH, AND THAT YOU'RE SCARED AND TIRED! BUT YOU CAN'T LET HER WIN. YOU MUST FIGHT! _PLEASE_ FIGHT! FOR US, FOR ME, FOR _YOU_!'

In a chorus, the other Phoenix Fighters called out.

'Sakura!'

'Please fight!'

'We believe in you!'

The light in Sakura's eyes flickered and started to fade. The cards around her started to waver in their rotating motion and slowed. The dark wings that curled out of her wand appeared to shrivel like a dying plant and receded into small white wings.

* * *

Sakura heard someone screaming her name. Who could it be? She was so happy and calm, floating along on a gentle breeze, no cares in the world.

'SAKURA!'

She recognised the boy's voice. Someone who was important to her.

'SAKURA!'

The girl's voice. Also someone who was important to her.

So many people's voices.

Sakura turned and saw them, as though looking through a telescope in reverse, she saw all the frightened faces of her friends, their mouths enunciating her name.

'Everyone,' she murmured and then suddenly she remembered.

Karasu had tortured her until she had blacked out, but Syaoran, and all of her friends' cries, had awoken her like an electrical pulse. She burst out of Karasu's control like a butterfly bursting from a crystallis, her body hers once more, along with the many aches and pains she had endured from Karasu's earlier Cruciatus attacks.

Sakura raised her arms and called back the Maze, Illusion, Snow, Earthy, Watery...

Each card returned into her open palm, once more a complete set.

The maze structure that had spidered around the area vanished and in its place stood solid earth, and the cluster of her friends sprawled across.

Sakura barely had enough strength to stand and watch bleakly as Karasu appeared from the darkness, Draco at her side. His body was slumped, weak and frightening. He gaped wretchedly, pleadingly at her. He looked something inhuman but pitiable, like a sickly creature. Karasu had a wand trained on him, using magic to hold him close by her side like a sad pet.

He must have been suffering. She had to free him.

Sakura's limbs ached but she raised her wand to tap against a card, ready to summon the Woody.

Karasu made a 'tsk' sound, grinning madly. 'Now, now, Card Mistress, if you raise a card against me, Mr Malfoy here will die.'

Sakura's eyes flicked from Karasu's sneer to Draco's stricken face.

His mouth moved into unintelligible vowels as he garbled, 'Sa...ku...ple...'

Sakura knew that Karasu was not bluffing. She would murder him without a blink.

 _'_ _Drop your wand,_ ' Karasu commanded.

'Sakura, don't!' Syaoran cried out.

Sakura didn't look at Syaoran as she opened her hand and allowed the Star Wand to drop to the ground.

'Sakura!' she heard Syaoran yell. 'Karasu! Don't lay a hand on her! Don't you _dare_! Or I'll—I'll...!'

Sakura saw the sick smile form on Karasu's face. 'Oh, I won't dare. That honour belongs to you, my dear.'

A cold feeling washed over Sakura. She turned her head slowly. She noticed Syaoran's eyes were blank though he smiled as he drew his sword. She knew that smile. It was a smile of reckless abandon.

'For your insolence, Draco, I ask that you keep your eyes wide open and watch.'

'NO! PLEASE NO!'

After Karasu spoke, it was Draco who had shouted.

Sakura whipped her head, returning her focus on Draco who seemed no longer under the Karasu's spell.

It happened so quickly. Syaoran whirled to Sakura's side and with a gleam of metal, something sharp and hot lanced straight through her stomach. Blood bubbled between her lips as she curled forward and slumped to the ground, her midsection screaming hot. Her ears rang. Her vision swam. The tang of blood was salty on her tongue.

* * *

'Now, it's your turn, " _The Boy Who Lived_ _"_!' Karasu screeched as Syaoran roughly withdrew the blade from Sakura's torso and lurched towards Harry in a maddening dash, his eyes like two dull stones in his head.

Harry barely had time to react, Syaoran's dead eyes the only thing he noticed in a rush of movement as he advanced preternaturally fast towards him.

As Harry recoiled instinctively, a robed and rotund figure apparated in front of him in a burst of smoke. The figure stretched out their arms as though to embrace Syaoran.

As Syaoran struck, the blade penetrated the figure's gut and withdrew smoothly, blood trailing after the sharp tip in a crimson arch.

Karasu recoiled, her eyes burning with spite. 'Peter?!" she rasped. 'You spineless traitor!'

Harry finally registered that the man standing before him, the man who had taken Syaoran's sword in his place, was Peter Pettigrew. Pettigrew had once been his parent's friend, their confidant, and he had betrayed them. But through a turn of events, he owed Harry.

Peter's round face was pale, his small eyes bulging in shock as blood poured from the gaping wound in his stomach. He turned his balding head slightly to meet Harry's horror-stricken gaze. He smiled gently, his bottom lip wobbling. 'A debt is a debt.' He turned back to Karasu and then collapsed forward. He lay motionless.

Harry stepped back, quivering with shock.

Karasu stared down at Pettigrew's corpse and then looked towards Harry. 'You won't be so lucky this time!'

As Harry flicked his wand to attack, Robin swept before him in a swirl of robes and used her index fingers to astutely draw a circle of fire all around the Phoenix Fighters, shielding them from the witch. Karasu's eyes reflected the dancing flames, her face drawn back with an inhuman snarl.

Robin rolled her hands in a rhythmic motion, coaxing the flames to rise higher, to burn brighter and to form a cage around Karasu. Karasu's form was consumed by the flames, her screech reverberating off the cavernous walls. They watched anxiously as the flames died down to expose a perfect circle of scorched earth.

 _Was she dead?_

They were hesitant to believe it when amongst the ash and dirt they spied several black feathers, unmarred by the flames.

* * *

Hermione stared past the fallen black feathers, like charred autumn leaves, and registered Ron's long and lean form discarded on the ground. She scrambled towards him, her hair flying over her face as her heart beat in her throat.

Her dear Ron was unconscious. A network of patterns, as though electricity had been tattooed along his torso, glowed angrily against red and weeping skin. Gingerly she knelt down and lifted his head into her lap, tears welling in her eyes as she choked out a sob. 'Ron! Don't you _dare_ be dead.'

She felt the gentle rise and fall of his chest. Relief flooded her.

She wiped her nose roughly and jumped at the raw sound of Tomoyo's screams.

Harry was holding Tomoyo back as she groped towards two lone forms, her eyes streaming with tears, her long dark hair wild.

 _'_ Sakura! No, let me go! I have to go to her!' Tomoyo screamed, straining against Harry, who held her firmly around the waist, his head nuzzled against hers. 'LET ME GO! _SAKURA!_ _'_

Hermione rotated on her heels and stared. Her stomach lurched as her ears began to ring. 'Sakura…'

* * *

Syaoran stared down at Sakura, his vision blurred with the tears that rolled down his cheeks in hot lines.

This was something out of his worst nightmares. What happened? Who did this to her? He gazed down his front and his own hand, and then at the blade of his own sword. It dripped with blood. It seemed as though there was a lapse in memory, and as he tore his eyes away, glimpsing wide-eyed at the others for some answer, they refused to maintain eye contact. It couldn't be…

Had he been the one? Had he done this?

He stepped limply forward, body swaying, weak as he came to where she lay. He stared down at her. His sword clattered to the ground.

'No…'

She looked devastatingly small and thin, her clothes and hair smudged with dirt, her face stark white.

He heard Tomoyo sobbing somewhere far away. She was being restrained by someone.

He was on the ground beside her, reaching for her but there was so much blood. It kept flowing, warm and viscous, all over his hands and over his knees.

Sakura gazed up at him through hazy green eyes, her breath rattling through chapped, bloody lips. A cough racked her chest, making her expel more blood.

'Call an ambulance!' an unfamiliar voice screamed in the distance.

Sakura moaned and shut her eyes. Syaoran whimpered and leaned down to clasp a hand to her face, smearing blood on her cheeks

'Don't worry, they'll be here soon!' another person called.

Syaoran sobbed and leaned down to press his lips to her forehead. 'Hold on, Sakura!' he whispered, his voice breaking. 'Don't die on me, please! I—I need you!'

He felt her eyelashes tickle his chin as she opened her eyes. He gazed down at her, tear dropping onto her cheeks. After everything, she still managed to look at him in recognition, a smile on her lips as her eyes shone with unequivocal adoration, only for him. But how could she? He didn't deserve that gaze, that smile. How could she be so forgiving when he had done this?

' _No...'_ He heard himself rasp again, not wanting to accept this reality.

 _He had been the one to do this!_

And the worst part was as that sword plunged into her belly he enjoyed it. He enjoyed every minute of it. The Imperius Curse was truly wicked...evil. For the moment under its spell it made one feel happy and free. But when it was over, there was nothing left but the truth, pain and guilt.

'I love you,' Sakura murmured and gently shut her eyes.

A tear streaked down her cheek and slid onto his hand.

He felt her life energy recede, like a wave retracting into a vast, dark ocean.

Away from his reach. A light that had been snuffed out.

She was gone.

His vision went dark, as his voice ripped from his throat in a howl, like a lone wolf's cry at the moon's steady shine.

 _'_ _SAKURAAAAAAAA!_ _'_


	10. The Phoenix Rising

**Chapter 10: The Phoenix Rising**

Trunks only saw it at the corner of his eye, but it had unmistakably been a crow. He lost his train of thought when their fellow Phoenix Fighters suddenly reappeared as though materializing through an invisible forcefield.

'Oh no! What happened?' It was Chibi Moon who had cried out.

Trunks squinted against the late morning sun at the others and noted their dishevelled appearances. Chibi Moon dashed over to them. He saw that Harry inspected the body of a large, robed man he hadn't seen before. He then saw that Hermione knelt over an unconscious Ron. Not giving it another thought, he dashed over to them. He reached into his pocket, into his pouch and handed Hermione a Senzu bean. Hermione pressed the bean between Ron's lips, and forced him to swallow. Ron's eyes tightened and then opened. He recognised their faces and smiled weakly. Trunks felt incredibly relieved.

But their relief was short-lived, shattered by Tomoyo's strangled scream.

Trunks looked over to see Syaoran hunched over on the ground, Sakura lying in his lap as a crimson puddle like a wax seal, pooled around them.

He slowly rose to a stand, his heart hammered with unease. Everything was so, so red. He had one more Senzu bean but something told him it wouldn't be enough...

Cars on the road started to slow down. Some veered to the side with a screech. Doors opened, exposing a myriad of frightened gazes. Some had their mobile phones pressed to their faces.

'Someone call an ambulance!' a man called.

A woman who was on her phone, nodded affirmably. 'Don't worry, they'll be here soon!'

* * *

Hermione looked around them blearily. She realised that they had somehow been transported back to where they had started where they had faced off with the Dementors. She could see beyond the pavement where they all were, traffic streaming past them like tetris blocks. There were innocent, unsuspecting people among them now. Muggles.

How had they gotten back? She wondered. That's when it finally occurred to her. They had never left. Perhaps the idea that they had gone to the Kotou Takinou had all been a part of the Illusion.

Syaoran's eyes rounded, his pupils retracting into small dots as he hollered at the sky, 'Sakura is….SAKURA IS DEAD!'

The air rended with the sorrowful cries of the others. Hermione was too shocked to react, for she heard the words but they just hadn't registered. She glanced upwards at Trunks who remained stoic behind his tears, as did Harry further off. Although they too were saddened they had all faced death first-hand. But the look in their eyes told the truth; it never did get easier.

'Hermione…'

Hermione glanced downwards, noticing the hint of despair in Ron's pale blue eyes. His lips were downturned with grief. For a moment she felt a painful tug in her chest as she studied his fair and freckled face. It was beautiful. His voice was beautiful. She couldn't imagine losing him. Even after all they had been through, their bickering and arguing, the accusations, their disagreements and fooling around, Ron meant everything. He was her all.

'Oh, Ron…' she sniffed, now feeling tears leak from her own eyes and soak his front. She watched as he turned his head weakly, and she followed his gaze.

Syaoran.

She could only imagine the pain he was enduring in this moment. She felt her sadness and guilt mixed into one. How could she feel happy at all about Ron when Sakura was...

Suddenly Syaoran's body grew hazy, like a diluted watercolour painting. A deep power vibrated through him. The hair on his head billowed as electricity started to pulse from his chest and ran down his limbs.

More cars stalled onto the side of the road, amassing a tide of observers, their faces aglow with cellphone lights and camera flashes. Hermione felt a tide of unease. Too many Muggles were present. This was bad news. She glimpsed back at Syaoran, hoping he wouldn't do anything rash.

Syaoran slowly reached down for his sword, standing on shaking feet.

'This...this is my fault!' He looked down at the blade in his hands, its entire length gleaming with red, reflecting the electricity that continued to grow around him like a bramble bush. 'I...I killed her!' The sword was slippery in his hands as he turned the point towards his heart. He shut his eyes.

Gasps emanated throughout the crowd.

In a flash, Trunks held Syaoran's wrists like manacles, making the trembling boy drop his blade. Trunks cringed, determined to keep Syaoran's hands at his sides. Syaoran hollered and the electricity ripped from his body in hot white ribbons, striking the ground like a thousand whips.

Trunks growled, 'Syaoran! Stop! Don't be stupid—there are people watching us! You need stop for a moment and think!''

Syaoran continued to yell, the electricity becoming more and more luminous.

Others, his friends, strained against the electrical outbursts, their voices strangled, their faces shining with tears. Hermione stumbled and managed to approach within five metres of Syaoran.

'Syaoran, he's right! You need to stop. It is not your fault!'

* * *

Syaoran opened his eyes and saw Hermione. His face became an indecipherable mask. Trunks gently relaxed his grip, still holding onto Syaoran's wrists as Syaoran turned slightly and looked around him. He nodded slowly and wrestled out of Trunks' hold as he roared, 'You're right...IT'S MALFOY'S FAULT!'

Syaoran glared at Draco's quivering kneeled form. He dashed towards him, but Trunks leapt in front of Syaoran with splayed arms, barring him.

Draco's silvery gaze was still trained on Sakura's lifeless body.

Seeming to share Syaoran's sentiment, Hermione looked ready to cast a hex in Draco's direction when Harry stomped forward.

'Already ahead of you!' Harry yelled. Pointing menacingly at Draco, he cast a binding charm.

Draco didn't even seem to notice, his eyes full of only Sakura. But his lips moved soundlessly, as though he mouthed, 'I'm sorry, I'm so sorry', over and over to her.

'Syaoran, enough already!' Trunks cried and curled his arm around the boy's waist as he still marched onward with intent.

Syaoran growled, turned and punched Trunks in the jaw, making his head snap back. 'LET ME GO!'

Trunks slowly straightened his face and stared impassively at Syaoran.

He then slapped Syaoran across the face.

Syaoran stared, stunned by Trunks' action. Syaoran felt the stinging ghost of the slap, seeing stars as the electricity that had possessed his body immediately fizzled out. The anger was quickly replaced with his grief, his entire body shaking as tears streaked across his cheeks. He collapsed to the ground at Trunks feet and howled, distraught, broken.

Hermione cautiously stepped towards them and brought her arms around Syaoran's shoulders. He cried louder.

* * *

Robin, the mysterious witch hunter, lowered her gaze and turned to leave.

Meiling was the only one who noticed in her sorrow, and bounded over to her. 'You're leaving?'

Robin regarded the shorter girl, her face a careful mask. 'The truth is, Miss Li, I was sent to capture the Card Mistress, not save her. STN-J merely captures dangerous witches, after all, and they saw her to be a threat. Now the threat has been terminated, I am no longer needed.'

Meiling shook her head, incredulous through her tears. 'Surely you don't believe that?!'

Robin glanced at Sakura's fallen form. 'With great power, comes the never-ending danger of those who want to contain or possess it. My only advice to you all is to always be on guard.'

Meiling snapped, 'But you're a witch as well! How could you…'

A single tear slid down Robin's face as she turned away. 'I'm sorry. My condolences.'

The blonde-haired figure disappeared in an increasing tide of witnesses.

* * *

The wail of sirens, the rush of traffic, and the utterances of Muggles suddenly quietened. The Phoenix Fighters gazed all around and saw that the Muggle witnesses were all frozen, as though time had been paused, the atmosphere slightly dim.

A magic circle suddenly appeared in front of Sakura, an intricate pattern of moons, stars and suns that spun in a brilliant array of colours. In the centre of the circle materialised a tall, regal woman in a flowing black kimono, her black hair pulled back in a ponytail, set behind an ornate, tasselled headdress. Her face was alabaster-white, framed by chin-length hair and a blunt fringe. She gazed with heavy-lidded red eyes, feline in nature, her red lips set in a grim frown.

Syaoran glared. Another hero, yet, their enemy was gone as was Sakura.

Ron squinted as he lifted himself to his feet. 'Are you a hero sent to help?'

'WHOEVER YOU ARE — YOU'RE TOO LATE!' Syaoran wailed hysterically.

The woman inclined her head and her voice resonated around them as she spoke. 'I am no "hero", but it was I who sent heroes to you in times of strife.'

The Phoenix Fighters looked at her in confusion. Sensing their uncertainty, she flourished a slender-fingered hand.

'I go by Yuuko. They also call me "the Dimension Witch".'

'The Dimension Witch…' murmured Hermione, eyes wide with realisation. 'You're the one? The one who provided the clue of black feathers?'

'What do you want?' Chibi Moon asked contemptuously, seeming too distraught to appreciate Yuuko's "overdue" appearance, as she wiped tears from her face. 'Why are you here?'

Yuuko's crimson gaze glided over them smoothly. They could sense the deep chalice of power within her, and carefully folded away.

'I have been involved in this mission since the beginning. I promised Clow Reed, long ago, that I would aid the Card Mistress. I have also known of Lady Karasu's intent.' Yuuko folded her long arms. 'She is a distant relative of mine, much like how Syaoran Li is a distant relative to Clow Reed. The power of any witch or wizard with the ability to control time-space is not only exceedingly rare, but severely frowned upon.' She stepped out of her magic circle and gently kneeled to regard Sakura sadly. 'Clow had this ability. Sakura Kinomoto also did, to an extent, with her cards.'

Syaoran watched her gentle gaze on Sakura, and the tears flowed anew. 'You're lying!' he snapped. He tried to fight against Trunks and Hermione's hold, but he was weakened by sorrow. 'How do you know my name? And how can you know Clow? Clow's been gone since forever and yet you look so young?'

Yuuko nodded, the tassels on her headdress swinging with the movement. 'This youthful appearance is a side effect of the ability to manipulate time-space; this domain has no baring on my age. Karasu, however, had lesser power...until she merged with the so-called Dark Lord. Her appearance has been altered by Dark Magic.'

Syaoran suddenly felt the drop of her aura, and sensed, strangely enough some level of familiarity. He wondered for a moment, was it possible they had met before?

As though reading his thoughts, she smiled knowingly. A gold glean rolled over her irises. She lifted a finger and pointed to her throat.

Syaoran mimicked the gesture and touched his jade wolf necklace. 'You're the woman from Hogsmeade.'

Syaoran had recalled being drawn to an unusual shop in Hogsmeade with a sign marked in Chinese, "hope"—希望. It was there he bought the necklace he had given Sakura at the Yule ball. She had also given him a similar one.

'The necklaces you and Sakura exchanged and your attraction to my shop were of no accident. These necklaces have the power to bring the girl you love back to life. The only question that remains, is how much of a price you are willing to pay.'

Syaoran's eyes widened as he stared down at Sakura and the amethyst star necklace around her neck along with the Star key. His eyes didn't leave her as he intoned, 'I would give anything.'

'You must know that the price is very high. I do not grant wishes for nothing. Something must be given in return,' Yuuko noted.

Syaoran sniffed as Hermione and Trunks let him go.

'Syaoran, think about this,' Hermione cautioned. 'You don't know what will happen.'

Tomoyo, Harry, Chibi Moon, Trunks and Meiling watched on in uneasy silence. Draco appeared mortified.

'Syaoran,' Draco murmured.

Syaoran didn't look at any of them as he stepped over to meet Yuuko, his shoulders square, his eyes dry.

'I understand,' he said quietly and nodded. 'Anything.'

Meiling stumbled forward, shaking her head frantically. She pleaded tearfully, unthinkingly in Chinese. 'No, Xiao Lang! It might be a trick!'

Yuuko raised her arms and her magic circle shifted over, extending under Sakura and Syaoran. A magical column raised around them, pink and translucent as a wind tunnel formed as an outer circle.

The necklace at Syaoran's and Sakura's throats glowed like twin stars.

Syaoran's eyes did not leave Sakura's face.

Yuuko regarded them both, stating tonelessly, 'I hope you are prepared to lose it all…everything.'

'XIAO LANG!' Meiling shrieked as she advanced, but was knocked back by a magical force, slamming into Hermione and Trunks.

They watched helplessly as the magical column and wind funnel rose, piercing the heavens and sending waves of raw power rippling through the air.

And then everything was still.

They saw Yuuko with her head bowed. Before her Syaoran stood, his gaze vacant as he stared into the distance. The light of his and Sakura's necklaces faded to a gentle glow.

* * *

Sakura gasped a deep breath, as though awakening from a bad dream, and sat upright. She regarded Syaoran hazily and then registered him. Oblivious to the blood that coated her and the ground, she sprang to her feet and grabbed Syaoran tightly around the middle.

Tomoyo cried out in joy from behind them.

'Syaoran! Thank goodness!' Sakura exclaimed. She held him for a moment and drew back. She peered confusedly at his face. He stared blankly back. 'Syaoran…?'

'He has paid the ultimate price,' Yuuko said softly. 'He has paid for your life, exchanging his source of power, his magical essence, his spirit, to resurrect yours.'

Sakura's eyes brimmed with tears. 'Syaoran...no...'

Syaoran stared emotionlessly back at her, as though she were a stranger. He gently slipped away from her hold, continuing to stare at her.

'Xiao-Lang!' Meiling cried and bounded towards him. She threw her arms around his neck, burying her face in his chest. Syaoran's eyes moved from Sakura, down to Meiling, and then back to Sakura again. The movements were eerily mechanical, like his body was piloted by artificial intelligence.

'Why?' Meiling sobbed. 'Why does it have to be like this?'

Sakura shook her head weakly, stepping away from them. A tear slipped down her cheek, cutting a clean channel through the grime on her face. 'Why...how could he have done such a thing...for me?'

'Love,' Yuuko said, her eyebrows turned downward. 'It seems that love will make people do the craziest things.'

The words echoed in her mind as she continued to meet Syaoran's empty eyes, her reflection clear in them, but not recognising her. It sounded as though Yuuko spoke of herself and someone else.

'For the sake of love, people will forgive the most unforgivable,' Yuuko finished.

'Syaoran…' Sakura whispered and clenched her jaw, her eyes overflowing.

* * *

Yuuko bowed her head and gestured to the right. 'It's time.'

They watched, flabbergasted as Albus Dumbledore and Eriol Hiiragizawa stepped out from amongst the frozen Muggle crowd, wearing solemn expressions.

'Thank you, Draco,' Dumbledore said, his light blue eyes glimmering like glass beads as they regarded the boy.

He waved his hand and Harry's Binding Charm was dismissed.

Draco sprawled onto his hands and knees. He looked up tearfully. 'I'm sorry, Professor, it's my fault. Because of me, Sakura….and now Syaoran…'

'What the bloody heck is happening?' Ron exclaimed.

'Yeah, where have you been all this time?' Harry snapped, all notions of politeness and reverence lost. 'We thought you might be dead, or severely hurt. For months, we heard nothing.'

'Young Draco and I have been corresponding for some time,' Dumbledore replied, his pale gaze drifting from Draco, to Ron, and to Harry, and rested there. 'It was I who sent him to Miss Kinomoto and Miss Daidouji's residence to assist you. It is I who placed him among your ranks, to subtlety guide you on your mission.'

'How could you send this two-faced, cowardly backstabber to us?!' Harry shouted. 'When you know about his father—'

'Dear Harry, none have a choice in selecting their natural fathers,' Dumbledore stated wisely and adjusted his spectacles. They saw that his right hand had become blackened and shrivelled. 'I must admit that I have not been forthcoming. Allow me to rectify the situation, so that my own short-givings do not colour your opinion of Draco.' He cleared his throat and began to tell them of a time that occurred nearly a year in the past.

* * *

 _Dumbledore's light blue eyes glimmered like jewels. They fell upon Draco, and remained there, as though peering straight through to his core. Draco knew he looked a wreck: dark rings had formed around his eyes and his face was unshaven._

 _'Mr. Malfoy,' Dumbledore spoke calmly, as though his presence had been expected. 'What brings you to me?'_

 _Draco looked down at his feet, suddenly unnerved. He knew why he had come but was still unprepared. He felt like he was begging, like he had sunken to his lowest. But he had to do it. He knew he must. This man, this particular man was the last person he wanted to deal with but his trusted confidant and educator, Severus Snape, had insisted on it._

 _'I can't join the Death Eaters,' he whimpered, sweat drenching his pale skin. 'I just can't do it.'_

 _Dumbledore looked stern at his words, still and unmoving. 'But you must, if I am not mistaken?'_

 _Without thinking Draco stumbled forwards, clasping his hands together pleadingly 'But you know what happened years ago. I fought the Dark Lord alongside Harry Potter! He is going to kill me! They are going to kill me! I know it! And my parents...what will happen to them?!'_

 _The elderly headmaster approached him, carefully placing a hand on Draco's shoulder as he fell helplessly to his knees. The tears came as Draco reached forward, grasping desperately at the ends of Dumbledore's robes._

 _'Please! You have to help me! You're the only one who can!'_

 _'Draco…' Dumbledore patted the boy's head, his ash-blond tresses slick and matted as though neglected care for days. Dumbledore sighed pityingly, 'Please stand.'_

 _Like a soldier, Draco stumbled upwards on command._

 _'Draco, you must go to Japan, as your father wishes. As Voldemort has requested.'_

 _Draco's eyes bulged, gawking and sputtering frantically at the aged wizard. 'N-No—b-but—'_

 _Dumbledore held out his hand, silencing him._

 _'Now if you please, Mr. Malfoy, listen carefully as your time is coming short.' Draco calmed slightly. Dumbledore then took Draco by the shoulders. 'If you refuse Voldemort, the repercussions will be great. Therefore, you must go to Japan as intended. However, I have a plan that will not only save your life, but others as well. You must agree Mr. Malfoy, to do exactly as I say. And you must promise—you must vow—you will keep this mission a most guarded secret.'_

 _Draco nodded slowly, gulping heavily. He knew at that moment he would do anything._

* * *

'You see,' Dumbledore continued sagely, 'Draco's badge "Secrecy" was bestowed upon him for a reason. But not for the reason that you may have believed.' He turned to regard the others. 'Draco is, in essence, my secret-keeper. This secret protected your house, as your combined powers alone could not shield against Karasu's potential strength.'

Harry groped his hands, disbelieving. 'But...But he was just so…'

'Draco never wished to join Karasu,' Dumbledore said, a steely look in his gaze. 'He was compelled to by love for his family. He knew that if he didn't, his family would be punished. And even when he was sent on the mission to bait Sakura and Harry, he knew that Voldemort was punishing him for working against him in the past. Draco has been funneling half-truths to Karasu this entire time. He has been my double-agent. He's protected you, Harry.'

Harry looked dazedly at Dumbledore, then a gobsmacked Ron, and then at Draco, his face stained with dried tears, his grey gaze caught on Syaoran's emotionless face. Trunks ambled over and knelt beside Draco, offering something to him. Draco tore his eyes away from Syaoran to take the Senzu bean from Trunks. He didn't do anything with it; rather, he held it between his fingers indecisively.

'I hope that in time, you will come to see the sacrifices young Draco has made, for the sake of his family and his peers.' Dumbledore lowered his head, appearing exhausted. 'I am running out of time. There is one more thing I have come to inform you, my Phoenix Fighters.'

He lifted his right hand, the one they had noticed was blackened and shrivelled. On his index finger glimmered a ring. 'Over the years, Voldemort split his soul across many different vessels, in order to prevent his ultimate death. These vessels are known as Horcruxes, a deeply forbidden art. This ring was one such item.' He sighed and looked at them sadly. 'Alas, I was unable to contact you all for much of this time, due to this mission of mine. I only had occasion to contact Draco, my eyes and ears.'

They pondered over his words.

'I identified that there were nine Horcruxes overall. One was Tom Riddle's diary. Yes, the one you destroyed, Harry.' He nodded at Harry's expression of recognition. 'The fragments of the soul become dependent on the wearer, latching on like a leech for power. They are not easily destroyed — cannot be simply crushed or smashed. They must be damaged beyond magical repair.' He turned his shrivelled hand, peering down at it thoughtfully.

'It must have been exceedingly lonely, this mission,' Sakura murmured, clutching a hand to her heart. She regarded Dumbledore and Draco. 'You must have felt so alone.'

Meiling drew away from Syaoran and peered down at Draco.

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled. 'Draco's task was the hardest of all.' He nodded and continued, 'Three Horcruxes remain. Two, I am certain of. The other, I am not so sure.'

'The skull,' Draco said, finally seeming alert. 'The skull Karasu carries.'

Dumbledore nodded. 'Ah, indeed. Quite possible. It would be how she came into contact with Voldemort. The last two, however…' He met Harry's eyes. 'I believe, exist within Karasu herself, and...'

It was like being hit by a bulldozer. Harry clenched his jaw. But it was the only explanation, wasn't it? Why he sometimes had prophetic dreams, why he felt moments of unjustifiable anger, when his scar would inexplicably sting like it were freshly cut open.

Harry looked across his friends and finally at Tomoyo. They didn't need to know. She didn't need to know.

* * *

Eriol grinned. 'Ah, and now it is my turn.' He glanced around brightly, as though admiring the foliage of the many blossoming trees of Spring. 'As you see, all that has happened around you, there are no accidents, no coincidences. Everything has been for a purpose, if not a mere consequence of an intended act. For example, all of you and your meeting here in Tomoeda. Or Sakura...your meeting Syaoran at Hogwarts.'

They watched him in a curious daze as he reached under his black and blue robes. He pulled out a slim card. He inched over to Sakura, and pressed it firmly into the palm of her hand.

Sakura blinked, confused as she stared down, recognising the etching of stars and moons in pink as her own. 'A Sakura Card?' she said in surprise, turning it over in her hand. It read in bold letters "HOPE". Sakura regarded Eriol in alarm. 'But this can't be mine! There are only 52 cards, aren't there? I never captured anything like this.'

Eriol brought his arms back to his sides. 'This is indeed your card, Sakura. It was formed four years ago at Hogwarts, when the Love and Void spirits joined together. This occurred when you and Syaoran fully realised your feelings for each other.'

It was a long time ago, and Sakura didn't remember much, only that she herself had become an empty shell when she had succumbed to the effects of the Void. She had lost all feelings, all reason to carry on. It was when Syaoran told her he loved her for the first time that she at last was able to...

Wait.

Maybe that was it!

The same thing that had happened to her then happened to Syaoran now. This card contained Love, the card born out of her strongest, most treasured feelings. She regarded Syaoran who hovered nearby like an automaton, impassively watching the scene unfold.

Hope.

Meiling stepped away to stand beside Chibi Moon, her eyes shimmering with tears.

'Syaoran,' Sakura said gently and held out the Hope to him.

Syaoran's brown eyes peered down at the card as it floated from Sakura's hand and levitated before him.

'Everything I have, everything I am, is yours,' Sakura continued and smiled, tears streaming down her cheeks. 'Please take it.'

The Hope Card spun on the spot and glowed pink. In its place appeared a girl with streaming grey hair, with a long blue dress and two sets of pearlescent wings. In her arms nestled a pink winged heart, emitting a warm glow. The girl smiled at Syaoran and held the heart out to him.

Syaoran stretched out his arms and received the heart. He was suddenly consumed by a bright light. The light faded and revealed Syaoran, his left hand clasping the Hope Card. He raised his head and saw Sakura, as though for the first time.

'Sakura,' he said, and his eyes glazed with tears. 'My most precious person.'

'Syaoran!' Sakura cried and dashed into his arms.

Syaoran hesitated and stiffened, as though recalling that moments earlier, his sword had pierced through her stomach. He gingerly moved his right hand up and down her back, and, finding no wound, buried his face in her hair.

'I'm sorry, Sakura! I'm so sorry!'

'It's okay, Syaoran. It wasn't you, it was the Curse. I understand.'

* * *

'This is what we offer you,' Yuuko said.

The Phoenix Fighters turned to regard them.

'We must leave now,' Dumbledore said, 'for our mission is not yet over.'

'The Muggles here will not remember a thing. The photos they've taken are erased,' Eriol assured them. He summoned his long golden staff and made a gentle swish. The Muggles became reanimated and slowly trudged back into their vehicles and drove away.

Yuuko, Dumbledore and Eriol bowed their heads in unison, like the Three Wise Men bearing gifts, and in a whirl of lights and robes, they disapparated.

'Well, blimey. I don't know what to say,' mumbled Ron, averting his gaze to the ground, 'this is a lot to digest.'

'I guess you could start by issuing an apology,' Draco grumbled, swallowing the Senzu bean he had initially neglected and getting to his feet.

They all turned to look at him, stunned by his sudden returned confidence as he stood tall with shoulders straight and folded arms.

'Now just you wait one minute!' Hermione snapped, waggling a finger. 'We had every... _every justifiable reason_ to not trust you, and—and—'

'Hermy, now wait,' Ron interjected, tugging gently at her arm. 'Even though he is a total git, a complete and utter arse, he's right.'

Harry gaped between them all. It was surreal. It was _unreal_. Harry had to blink several times just to verify that the words were coming from the correct bodies. He looked towards Trunks who had the most satisfied grin plastered on his face while Meiling still looked uncertain, idly rubbing at her arm and staring at her shoes.

Ron continued, 'Sorry to call you a rat, mate. Though I reckon I was right about your being legitimately two-faced.'

Draco glared. 'Idiot! You call that an apology? You know that's not what you're supposed to be _apologising_ for. In fact, you should be thanking me, right? So go on. Try again!'

Ron gave his usual lopsided grin. 'Fair enough. Thank-you for being a lousy, piss-poor Death Eater and I'm sorry about what I said about your aunt. You're still a bastard, though.'

Draco narrowed his eyes. 'And you're still a freckly-arsed twat, Weasley. And speaking of " _piss-poor_ "...'

Hermione rolled her eyes and crossed her arms. 'Oh, brother.' Though her tone betrayed a hint of a grin.

Chibi Moon sighed. 'Well, I guess they're making up, in their own weird way. Looks like we misjudged Draco.'

'Yeah. Misjudging people happens a fair bit,' Trunks said airily.

Chibi Moon's face showed a margin of redness, perhaps embarrassed, not realising who she had spoken offhandedly to. Trunks had been the one to defend Draco most of all aside from Sakura. It also went without saying that Trunks too had faced a lot of "judging" in their first month.

Sakura turned to the others and bowed deeply. 'I'm so sorry for hurting you all!'

'It's alright, Sakura,' Ron said.

'It was not you,' Hermione agreed. 'We're just happy you're safe.'

'One thing though,' began Ron pointing a finger into the air much like Takashi. 'Why? Why do you always attack me with the Thunder card when you're possessed? Do you know how bloody awful that thing is?'

'Ronald, please,' Hermione mumbled as Sakura giggled nervously in response.

'But it's true, innit?' moaned Ron. 'Lightning isn't supposed to strike the same place twice!'

'I wonder what happened when they left? We missed a lot,' Trunks muttered.

Chibi Moon responded with a weak nod.

'Well, now that we're all getting along,' Syaoran said, his arms over Sakura's shoulders, 'we need to discuss next steps.'

Hermione nodded. 'Those Horcruxes. Well, we know that there's the skull, and Lady Karasu. But there's a remaining one.'

'An advantage of our team is our numbers,' Sakura said. 'Together, we can win.'

'Draco, you can show us to the lair?' Trunks asked, recalling their original mission.

'The real lair this time,' Hermione said, somewhat critically.

Draco rolled his eyes and turned to Sakura. 'Right. Well, I suppose if we've had enough banter, follow me.'

Tomoyo tittered, and Chibi Moon looked at her inquiringly. 'This whole time, I've been wearing a hidden camera. I've captured everything.'

Chibi Moon grimaced. 'Oh, Tomoyo…'

'For evidence...and research, obviously,' Tomoyo said convincingly.

Sakura used the Bubble Card, and Hermione used cleaning charms to quickly clean their soiled clothes and dirt-smeared faces. Then they began a slow, cautious march.

Tomoyo regarded Sakura with a sad smile, her tone shifting to a demure one. 'Sakura, you've been to this lair before, right?'

Sakura nodded, also seeming uneasy. 'Mmhm.'

Tomoyo returned her focus forward and said softly. 'What did it feel like? Being kidnapped?'

Sakura looked taken aback. 'Tomoyo, is that what you thought? I wasn't kidnapped, I went on my own.'

Tomoyo looked back suddenly. 'What?'

Suddenly the whirr of the others' conversation interrupted theirs.

'One thing we never figured out. Why did Renona Karasuhoshi become Lady Karasu?' Meiling asked loudly.

'What do you mean "why"? 'Cause she's barking mad and evil, like all Death Eaters are,' Ron responded. He passed an eye over Draco and added in a low voice, 'Nothing personal, mate.'

Draco scoffed. 'Offense taken.'

'I'm serious!' Meiling argued. 'There is always a reason. People don't just do such things for the sake of it. And the way I see it, Renona had everything going for her.'

'It doesn't matter anyway. She's dead, isn't she? That Robin person got rid of her,' Harry muttered.

'Don't be daft,' Draco hissed, giving him a deprecating scowl. 'She probably turned into that thing and just flew off somewhere.'

'WHAT?!' the others exclaimed.

'Haven't you figured it out?' Draco balked. 'She's an Animagus. A crow.'

Sakura bit her lip. 'It's true.'

Draco didn't look at her as he said, 'It's how she lured you, isn't it?'

Sakura nodded weakly. 'I followed, hoping to find you. I didn't want to put anyone in danger, so I went on my own. I thought I'd be safe in my Animagus form, but I wasn't. I didn't realise at first that the crow was an Animagus. So I followed her into a trap.'

'The crow,' Trunks breathed. 'No way, that bird was her?'

'Oh my, of course...of course!' Hermione gasped. '"Follow the black feathers; figure out how the heart itself becomes blackened…" This clue about feathers was literal. Sakura! You figured it out!'

'But Karasu's heart? Maybe that holds some importance,' Chibi Moon noted, stroking her chin. 'Figuring out her connection to him might be the key to defeating her...or them.'

Hermione nodded. 'So perhaps You-Know-Who's dark magic has clouded her judgement and consumed her "heart"?'

Trunks stared into the sky, sighing as he propped his arms behind his head. 'Or what if...what if this isn't about Karasu or magic at all, but about love itself? The crazed kind of love that can turn someone into a monster by corrupting them? What if it's a cautionary tale or something?'

Hermione and Chibi Moon gaped at him, along with the others, clearly not expecting such words from Trunks. He then cleared his throat dismissively. 'I mean, well, maybe? Just a guess.'

'That was brilliant,' breathed Ron, who looked impressed.

Sakura felt Syaoran's arm brush along her shoulder. She glimpsed at him, and it was as though the pieces of the puzzle had finally come together.

Syaoran peered back at her, and read the look on her face. 'What is it?'

'Before you awoke again, Yuuko said something about how people will do insane things, because of their love for another,' Sakura puzzled to Syaoran. 'I think she was talking about Lady Karasu.'

'Karasu loved You-Know-Who?' Chibi Moon gasped, overhearing and sounding sad. 'Beautiful...but tragic. Maybe she did all of this to please him.'

'That witch, capable of love?' Draco spat. 'When my aunt professed her love for Voldemort, she was mocked, tortured and killed.' He suddenly looked afraid. 'I mean, I don't know.'

'From old documents we found, it is possible they were together once,' Tomoyo said and exchanged a knowing look with Hermione. 'At Hogwarts, they were Head Boy and Head Girl.'

'That's just freaky and wrong,' Ron said. 'To think people like that could have gone to our school.'

'Then I think I have an idea,' Sakura said, clutching the Hope to her chest.

The group fell silent as they came to the border of Kotou Takinou, the real one. Harry turned to regard Meiling and Tomoyo, a grave look in his eyes as he cleared his throat to speak.

'You two…'

'I understand,' answered Meiling, surprising him with her swift answer. 'Go on without us, and be safe.'

Tomoyo seemed hesitant at first, but her eyes met with Sakura's and then Harry's and she managed a small but reassuring smile.

* * *

Finally, they knew. They knew it all. And they all had been given the tools from three great wizards—rebirth, renewal, truth.

Suddenly they felt a resurgence of hope and a sense of purpose, direction. They knew exactly what had to be done. It was now their time, their time to rise. Their time to shine.

Together.

As they approached Karasu's lair, they repeated the plan in their minds, muttering it under their breaths. Expecting a powerful assault from the Death Eaters, they would need to pass them in order to gain access to the skull and Karasu, who guarded it in her throne room. Ron, Hermione and Syaoran would lead the charge at the front in order to break a gap in the Death Eater's defence, with Draco leading Trunks, who was delegated to destroy the skull. From there, Sakura and Chibi Moon would attack Voldemort's dark magic with light. Sakura insisted on attempting to reach Karasu's human side with the Hope card, the side that remembered what love was. They decided that once they had followed through on all other steps, that would be the last and final task.

Even if they had months to prepare for this final battle, they could not prepare themselves when they approached the lair. Kotou Takinou's old, rustic charm with its Edo-style row houses and century-old landscaping was more evident against the early afternoon's sunrays. The lair was no different. It was hidden away in a cloud of mist, but when exposed, stood at many stories high, like a modern interpretation of a daimyo's palace, its roof black and sleek like the feathers of a raven, its edges lined with gold and silver. Karasu had clearly wanted to make an impression, perhaps to entice other villains to join her cause.

Standing at the large ebony double-doors, they all looked at each other, preserving the memory of youth, confidence and camaraderie before spelling open the doors quietly.

They weren't several paces into the dark expanse when Death Eaters apparated all around them in a swirling black fog, laughing like hyenas during a feeding frenzy. The Phoenix Fighters and Death Eaters entered an onslaught of attack spells, parrying, dodging and dancing in a chaotic waltz.

Trunks was about to shoot off through the tide of black cloaks when he saw that there were only seven Phoenix Fighters among them.

'WHERE'S HARRY?' he exclaimed over the surging blasts of light from wands.

The others frantically looked about them between attacks; Harry was indeed missing.

'That blasted Potter!' Draco spat venomously, casting a limb-locking charm on a tall male Death Eater. 'That pig-headed glory-hound is going to get himself killed! After all I've done!'

'We have to find him. Karasu was after him as much as me!' Sakura cried and summoned Windy, who whipped the Death Eaters like black confetti into a wind funnel and sent them flipping out into the dark.

'Hermione and me will go after him,' Ron said, using the temporary silence as a means to evade the onslaught.

'Don't worry, we'll find him!' Hermione gasped.

* * *

Harry cringed against the stabbing pain in his forehead, concentrating past the point of his wand light as he ran down a wide corridor. He used the pain like a compass, guessing that because it grew worse with each step, he came closer to his target.

Harry knew what he had to do: it had been clear as day on Dumbledore's face: he had to die.

He couldn't let them know, otherwise they'd insist on finding another way. But if they managed to destroy the skull, and if he were dead, then that would leave them just Karasu, the vessel for the final fragment of Voldemort's soul, to destroy.

'So, the prey stalks the predator,' Karasu's voice cackled, seemingly in his mind. 'How ironic.'

A deep burning seared across Harry's forehead and he cried out. He was suddenly lifted off his feet and thrown like a ragdoll against a solid wall. His vision exploded with fireworks, his back aching as he spilled onto his stomach. He tightened the grip on his wand and cast _'Stupefy!'_ before him.

Through his dizziness he saw the light of the spell illuminate a wide corridor, the walls lined with unlit lanterns, red in colour. The spell must have completely missed, because he heard her laugh derisively.

'A basic Stunning Spell? My, Harry. I never expected you to be this foolish. But I suppose glasses don't make you smart,' Karasu chuckled darkly.

Harry felt unadulterated terror rise in his stomach. He didn't want to die. He was reminded of how helpless he felt when he had watched Tomoyo die;the shock of seeing Trunks take Bellatrix' hit time and time again; the grief of Sakura's fragile bleeding body, and the agony of all around her. Now it was his time to go. He pushed off cold floors and rocked to his feet.

Karasu sneered at his stance. 'Brave until the very end, are we?' she derided. 'Very well. I will make sure you are left standing when I take your life.'

'HARRY!' Ron's voice yelled in the distance.

' _CONFRINGO_!'

Karasu was blasted back.

Ron and Hermione came to stand on either side of Harry, their wands raised.

'Come on, mate! Did your brain get rattled in the last battle?' Ron roared angrily.

Harry looked blearily at both of them and cursed inwardly. 'You — you're meant to be getting to the skull!'

'The others will sort it out,' Hermione said cooly, her eyes narrowing as Karasu reemerged from the darkness, her pale face drawn back in a carnivorous snarl.

* * *

The five teenagers skillfully immobilized a score of Death Eaters, coordinating an attack from the front and shielding from the back until they arrived at last to the throne room. In contrast to the regal exterior of the castle, the room was crude in style. It opened into a wide, circular ceiling, its walls hewn from dark stone running with lines of white granite, like naturally eroded cave walls. If not for the chandelier fashioned from thigh bones suspended above them, it would have been pitch black.

They spied a yellowed round object seated atop the throne arm, an eerie green light flickering from two openings. _The skull!_ They bounded towards it. Trunks lashed out his arms and drew ki to his fists while the others trailed guardedly behind.

There was a yell of indignation as a rogue Death Eater slipped from behind Karasu's crudely carved throne, their harlequin mask a deep, demonic frown. The Death Eater unsheathed a wand that was hidden in a silver serpent-headed walking cane, and cast a curse at them.

Draco didn't miss a beat as he thrust his wand forward, disarming the Death Eater. He followed with ' _Petrificus Totalus!'_ and sent the Death Eater slumping into the throne beside the skull, whose light seemed to glow brighter.

Draco's steps were measured and purposeful as he climbed the few steps to the throne and dragged the mask off the Death Eater's face. The mask revealed a pale, pointed face set with grey eyes and framed with white hair, so like Draco's own, yet so much colder. The man known as Lucius Malfoy gazed at his son, seeming mortified.

'How could you…' Lucius uttered, raising his hands only slightly in surrender as Draco relaxed the effects of the Body-Bind, though kept his wand pointed threateningly.

'I ask you the same,' Draco hissed, his stare unwavering but his arm rattling slightly. 'You tortured me into providing answers. How could you do that to me! Your only son?'

'I was under the Imperius Curse! You know I would never hurt my own,' Lucius groused defensively.

Draco didn't seem to hear as he retorted, sounding on the verge of tears. 'How can you serve them? They don't even care about any of us!'

Lucius snarled, 'Damn it, Draco! What is the matter with you? Don't you know we are on a mission? We are fighting for the greater good! How dare you question the motives of our master?'

Draco didn't respond immediately, though he seemed to struggle with some internal conflict for he frowned aggressively and his lips puckered and contorted strangely. Lucius' mouth pulled into an tepid grin reminiscent of a used car salesman.

'It's not too late, Draco. There is still room for second chances. I ask you to think wisely…and beg Lady Karasu and the Dark Lord for forgiveness.'

'No, Father,' Draco said. 'If you are asking me to follow the same path as the others, I can't.'

'Now, now,' his father insisted, his eyes wide and hands beckoning. 'I know it's been difficult for you. But think about what you stand to lose.'

By now, it was certain from the faintest reflection of light that tears had fallen down Draco's cheek. He sniffed and replied hoarsely, 'I accept the consequences of my decision. I am nobody's servant. From now on, I am my own master.'

The tension in the room was heavy. Lucius' eyes seemed to regard Draco with utmost confusion, but then that confusion morphed into heartbreak marred with blind rage. He scrambled suddenly, scampering along the cold ground, making a mad dash for his wand.

' _Accio_ _wand!'_ Draco hollered, allowing his father's wand to glide past his father's horrified face and into his hand before stowing it into his pocket. Lucius whirled his body towards his son and glared with contempt. Draco sneered back in kind. He pointed his wand to Lucius' throat with one hand, and gestured to Trunks with the other.

'You have made a grievous error, boy. The Dark Lord will rise, and you will be one of the many to fall,' Lucius intoned, his eyes flicking to Trunks, who examined the skull. He then looked back at Draco and spat with disgust, 'You are no son of mine!'

There was a short silence, ended by Draco's dark laughter. He leaned his weight into the wand, digging it into Lucius' neck. He met Lucius' silver eyes, identical to his own, and enunciated clearly: 'And you are no father to me.'

* * *

Harry, Hermione and Ron watched, like witnessing a horror movie, as Karasu emerged from the darkness. Her slanted eyes glowed a sinister violet, crowning a manic, white grin. She thrust her wand like a conductor, fire blasting towards them.

Hermione cast a shield spell, making the attack ricochet around them, lightning up the lanterns along the walls with flames.

Karasu cackled with mirth. A cat playing with three blind mice.

Hermione looked from Ron and Harry, seeming suddenly enlightened. She cleared her throat and yelled, 'Karasu! Why are you doing this? For the love of... Voldemort, for err, Tom Riddle?' She winced at Harry and Ron's horrified expressions and continued. 'But this? This isn't really love! If Tom loved you he wouldn't put you into such a dangerous position. He wouldn't have the need to control you.'

Karasu's eyes opened wide. 'Shut up, you foolish girl! Your meagre Mudblood mind cannot begin to grasp, cannot begin to comprehend, Tom's love for me!' She raised her arms, the sleeves of of robes billowing as she proclaimed in a resonating voice, 'Youth. Beauty. Power. This is what I truly love! And none shall surpass me! Ever!' She threw her head back and laughed madly. 'I am the greatest! The smartest! Love is pain!' She sneered at them. 'And soon you will learn, love will be the source of yours.'

'No, you idiot!' Ron snapped, irate in spite of himself. 'That's not love! If he loved you, he wouldn't make you—'

'Make me? I chose this and he loves my power. As long as I am powerful, I will be loved! What more could I wish for, but to fulfil his every desire. I, together, we will rule all!'

* * *

Trunks held his palms out as he summoned his ki into a measurable orb, ready to destroy the skull. The others watched the entrance for enemies while Draco guarded his father.

The skull's eye sockets suddenly flashed brightly and like a hologram, cast the projection of the Dark Lord before them, the skull positioned perfectly in line with the apparition's face. His form was the manifestation of snake turned man: his skin was a sallow greenish white and sinewy, his head bald, eyes red and nostrils slitted. He inhaled deeply of the air and in rush of smoke, disapparated from the room.

They stared in terror, disbelieving what they had just seen. And yet, when they had turned to look once more at the lone Death Eater in their midst, they heard a loud poof.

Lucius Malfoy was gone.

* * *

Harry saw that Karasu was poised to attack, her wand raised, its tip shimmering green. He mentally apologised to his friends and leapt forward, his arms outstretched in surrender.

Karasu's lips pulled back in a maniacal grin.

' _Diffindo_!'

Harry felt pain lance his side. He pressed a hand to his side and stared down at his own blood which dripped through his fingers, onto the ground.

'It's over, Harry Potter. You are the only one who stands in the way!'

Karasu made to strike again, but then came to a sudden halt. She gaped in shock over their heads.

Harry turned to see what she observed. It was an apparition of Lord Voldemort, not quite solid, pale, pointed and reptilian. He slithered by them and encircled Karasu like a serpent, a clawed hand stroking her face tenderly.

'My Lord,' she whispered, her eyes hooded, her lips smiling with crazed adoration.

''My dear,' he drawled in a raspy voice. 'What it is that we had agreed? That it is only I who may have the boy!' His impartial hand stabbed straight into her chest and twisted.

Karasu gasped and choked, her hands wrenching at Voldemort's impartial one. He withdrew his hand from her chest, dragging along with it her pulsing heart. Blood spattered onto the ground, luridly crimson like red paint.

Hermione screamed, gripping onto Ron's arm as he wheezed loudly beside Harry. He turned his head shakily, cheeks puffing, looking about ready to vomit as Hermione buried her face into his shoulder to shield her eyes.

'You dare upstage me? Yet the girl is still alive,' Voldemort hissed. Karasu shook her head frantically, denying it with all her worth. Voldemort glared. 'You've failed, Dark Raven.'

Voldemort clenched his teeth and squeezed her heart. Karasu bent down and grabbed at her chest, trying to stop the bleeding to no avail. She looked up at him, begging, imploring. Her eyes widened when he finally tightened his grip, a loud gushing noise stabbing their ears as remnants landed on the ground in clumps. Karasu screamed softly, a ghost of a siren. She lay dead, her hair splayed on either side of her like raven wings.

Voldemort's form became more substantial, as though the piece of himself he had placed in Karasu had rejoined with his own. He stared emotionlessly at Karasu's body.

'She was useful for a time. What a waste,' he said in a slippery, slithering voice. His red eyes rose to meet Harry's green ones. 'But only I may destroy you, Harry.' He cackled as he withdrew a wand from his robe sleeve and waved it in a circular motion.

The blood that had fallen from Harry' side merged into a glistening red orb, like a large ruby, and spun into Voldemort's open palm. He used his wand to slice open his own wrist and drove the blood into the open wound. He roared. His form was instantly solid and scarily real.

Ron hollered something indecipherable as Hermione screamed again.

* * *

Harry gasped. It was dark. He felt around. Hermione and Ron were no longer standing beside him. He swivelled feverishly and hit a wall. He fell back. His scar was suddenly alight with deep, searing pain. He whimpered and clutched his face, clawed at his face, willing it to stop.

' _AVADA KEDAVRA!'_

A cold green light surrounded him. It was like plunging into a deep and icy river.

He saw Tomoyo's gentle smile.

And then everything went dark.

* * *

Harry opened his eyes. It was unnaturally bright, like staring directly into the sun. He blinked back tears and his eyes adjusted. He brought a hand to his face and found he was not wearing glasses. Ponderously he looked around, and found himself seated on a white lounge in a living room. This was…

'Godric's Hollow, Harry, or what you remember of it,' a gentle feminine voice said beside him.

He glanced up and saw his mother and his father, Lily and James Potter, as young and as beautiful as their photos, and the faces he had glimpsed in the Mirror of Erised.

'Mum? Dad?' Harry whispered and reached to touch Lily's face. Her skin was soft. He felt the muscle in her cheek move as she smiled at him, her eyes a luminous green. He looked over at his dad, whose smile broadened under a shock of unruly black hair.

'Yes, son,' James said. He and Lily wrapped their arms around Harry. 'We are so proud of you.'

Overwhelmed, Harry leaned into their firm embrace and scrunched his eyes shut. He opened them, tears falling freely.

'I always dreamed of meeting you. I have so many questions,' he whispered joyfully.

He looked around them, at the subtle etchings of paintings hanging on the wall, a window framed by curtains that danced with a slight breeze. Yet outside the window was pure whiteness. 'Am I dead?'

'Yes and no,' Lily said as she drew away and smiled at him.

'In order to destroy a piece of Voldemort,' James explained, 'you knew you had to sacrifice your life.'

'My love shielded you back then. Now, you are given a choice, Harry,' Lily murmured. 'You can stay, always. We will always be together. A family.'

All his life Harry had yearned for a family, a true home. Now he had the opportunity. Here, wherever here was, at last he would be happy, finally knowing his true mother and father. Finally knowing everything he had missed.

Lily inclined her head and smiled warmly as James lay an arm around her shoulders.

Harry felt himself nearly return the smile. But suddenly he remembered.

Hermione. Ron. Sirius.

Tomoyo.

Harry sighed sadly. 'I want nothing more than to stay with you,' he said earnestly, hot tears rising in his eyes. 'But my friends — my family — are in danger. I've got to go back.'

Lily nodded gently and cupped a hand to his face. 'It is not over,' she said calmly. 'We will always be with you. We will be waiting.'

Harry sobbed and threw his arms around them. It was like embracing warm, pure light.

* * *

He opened his eyes, suddenly overwhelmed by the darkness and the pain. He craned his neck and stared into the stern black gaze of Severus Snape. Their former Potions professor bent over Harry, one arm pillowing Harry's head, while the other tipped a vial close to his mouth.

Harry spluttered and scrambled into a sitting position, staring. 'S-Snape?!'

'Always the articulate one, Potter,' Snape drawled and slipped the vial away. Harry gaped at it in a daze. A million questions swarmed in his head at once. What was Snape doing here? Where was everyone else? What had he given him to drink just then? Harry looked at Snape's garb and realised instantly that he was dressed similarly to the Death Eaters.

The thought hit instantly.

'T-That is…' Harry stammered, feeling for his wand. 'You're one of them!' He felt suddenly sick with dread. Somehow he had survived the attack. So now... was he being poisoned?

Snape stared back expressionlessly at him. 'If you're looking for your wand, it is in my possession.' He then proceeded to use his wand to dangle Harry's before him in midair. 'Given your impulsive history, I thought it best to keep this as far from you as possible.'

'GIVE IT BACK!'

Before Harry could jerk forwards he felt a jolt of pain course through his body, and his back slam hard against the ground. He opened his mouth to shout once more, but strangely, no words came. Snape had double-jinxed him!

'It would do you well to listen, and listen well, Potter.' Snape's drawling tone came from the distance, and Harry's eyes darted to see as Snape's shadow loomed over him with every advancing step. 'I am here on Dumbledore's orders. The Killing Curse, notwithstanding, you were bleeding rather profusely. That elixir I have given you saved your life. It contains one of the most potent magical ingredients in existence: Phoenix tears.'

Harry thought hard. He recalled Dumbledore's phoenix, Fawkes, the bird that resided humbly in his office. The bird had saved him once in the Chamber of Secrets. Its tears indeed were powerful, possessing the ability to purge poisons and rescue someone nearing their end. By now Snape was directly above Harry, his dark eyes boring back into his green. Still, something was not right. Had Snape rescued him, then? How had he found him? How did he get past Voldemort? Harry was certain Snape was dressed fully as a Death Eater and had the malevolence to match.

Snape did not smile and he answered as though reading Harry's mind.

'I admit, you are correct to wonder. Indeed, I was among the Death Eaters you've been facing. However, you are wrong in your conclusions. I share a role not unlike Draco Malfoy; a role that brings me nothing but displeasure, but a role I must commit to, nonetheless.'

Harry watched as Snape raised his wand and pointed it at him, swishing it once. Harry suddenly felt his jaw relax.

'You're a double-agent?' Harry heard himself say out loud. He blinked in surprise, realising at that moment he could speak again, though his body still couldn't move.

Snape sneered. 'We haven't time to go into further details, Potter. Your friends are in trouble.'

'Voldemort! Where is he?' Harry breathed, realising in spite of himself that Snape had a point.

'I will only tell you this once, Potter. This is not the time for you to act rashly.'

'DON'T TALK TO BE LIKE I'M A CHILD!' Harry roared. 'My mother and father died because of him! I saw them—spoke to them—but I never will again as long as I live!'

Suddenly, Snape's gaze softened, and it seemed for a brief moment he had relaxed his grip on his wand as well.

Harry blinked back the tears as he rambled, 'Time and time again, we have suffered. There have been too many close calls to even count. I have a duty to them—to everyone. I have to stop Voldemort. My parents couldn't have died in vain! My mother—'

'I know that! Don't you think I know it already?!' Snape barked, startling Harry. Harry was stunned by the shakiness, the roughness of his tone as he said it. After an awkward, extended silence, Snape exhaled, then returned to his usual calm, composed manner. 'I will return your wand, but I insist that you think about your mother's sacrifice before you go off and do something foolish. Listen for once!'

Harry felt the weight that had pressed against his body lighten, and he could feel his fingers, arms and legs surge with energy, restored to life. He could move again. He sat up shakily, and sure enough as promised, Snape handed Harry's wand back to him. Harry stared back at his own wand, wondering if he should try using it against Snape as revenge and take off to find the others. But for some reason he couldn't do it. He wanted to trust this man. Somehow. He had to.

Snape's eyes rested on him. 'There is something you must know about the Dark Lord.'

* * *

Harry and Snape hurtled to the throne room and saw that the others were tossed in a pile at the centre of a large translucent prism, light fractaling around them. Harry desperately ran to the prism wall and saw that they were injured, their clothes tattered and bodies covered with grazes, but alive.

'Harry! Thank Merlin's burps that you're alive, mate!' Ron exclaimed and cringed with the effort. He moved as though he were being compressed by an unseen force. 'We can't move — we're being crushed!'

'Harry, you have to leave, now! The building is going to erupt!' Hermione gasped beside Ron, her eyes shimmering with tears. 'Please, save yourself!'

'NOT LONG NOW, CHILDREN,' Voldemort's voice boomed shrilly around them, making the surface of the magical prism rattle like glass. 'SOON YOU WILL JOIN HARRY POTTER IN HIS DEMISE!'

Harry looked desperately from his friends to Snape's scrutinising expression.

'We don't have time,' Harry said hurriedly. 'Can you take me to him?'

Snape nodded obligingly and clapped a hand onto Harry's shoulder.

Harry took a last fleeting look at the Phoenix Fighters. He felt an odd sensation, much like clothes being tossed in a washing machine and was upended onto the ground outside. A gale picked up around them and whistled over the parapets of Karasu's lair. Harry shuddered with the cold and stood tall. He followed Snape's vision and saw Voldemort standing several feet away, his wand to his throat as he projected his voice inside the castle.

'You've not long now. The prism will slowly crush your bodies until you break like brittle kindling. Go on, scream! Just like the so-called "Boy-Who-Lived" did in his final moments...'

Harry gulped thickly and projected his own voice. 'Hey, baldie! From what I recall, the Killing Curse doesn't elicit a scream. And from what I can tell, I am very much alive!'

Voldemort's joyous leer shifted into a surprised scowl as he turned to regard Harry and a nonplussed Snape.

'Impossible...Severus...how dare you betray your Lord!' Voldemort roared and flicked his wand savagely, summoning a wip of fiery flames towards them.

Snape cast a counter-curse, dismantling the rope of fire to sear a scattered semi-circle on the ground beside him.

Voldemort continued to summon more and more lengths of fire until the effect resembled a cat o'nine whips lashing all around Snape, who parried with deflecting spells, taking one staggering step forward at a time.

Perhaps realising the process was ineffective, Voldemort growled and raised his wand, the tip a luminous green. He swished his wand down.

Snape reared his wand to cast the Shield Charm. But Harry dashed ahead of Snape and yelled, ' _EXPELLIARMUS_!'

The force of Voldemort's green jet met at the centre with Harry's own spell.

'You dare?' Voldemort's voice reverberated around them, in spite of the roaring energy, like steam engines firing in the distance.

'Yes, I dare,' Harry said simply, both hands wrapped tightly around the wand base as he continued to channel power into the spell. He could feel the resistance of Voldemort's own attack, but he knew better. 'You're done, Voldemort.'

'What is it, then?' Voldemort cackled. 'Oh, please tell me it isn't "love"?'

Harry smirked. 'I know things you don't know, Tom Riddle.'

Voldemort's eyes flickered malevolently.

'I know lots of things you don't. Want to hear some, before you make a mistake?' Harry chided.

Voldemort did not speak, but prowled around in a circle, the length of his spell following like the arms of a clock. 'Is it love again?' he said, his snake face jeering. 'Was it love that prevented me from stamping out your Mudblood mother like a cockroach, Potter?'

Harry narrowed his gaze. 'You've no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me.'

His magic chimed like bells in his ears, rising higher and higher in an ascending pitch, a final crescendo.

' _AVADA KEDAVRA!'_ Voldemort shrieked, recasting the killing curse.

' _EXPELLIARMUS!'_ Harry cried, meeting his spell once more.

Green once more met red in a cataclysm of raw energy.

'When you cast that spell on me, I chose to die willingly, for the sake of my family and friends. I embraced death, and killed that part of you along with it,' Harry explained, his eyes tearing from the brightness of the magic that roared around them. 'However, you choose to only live for yourself. You fear death more than anything. It is this selfishness that will cause your demise.'

Voldemort did not respond, only shrieked gutturally. The bang was like a cannon-blast and the golden flames that erupted around them, at the dead centre of the circle they had been treading, marked the point where their spells collided. Voldemort hit the ground with mundane finality, his body feeble and shrunken, the white hands nobbly like deadwood, the reptilian face vacant. He was dead, killed by his own rebounding curse.

Voldemort's body started to deteriorate as though made of sand, his frail form blown away in a scatter of dust and shredded cloth, his wand split down the middle, like lightning striking a tree.

One shivering shock of silence, the shock of the moment suspended, and the unease broke around Harry. He lowered his wand hand and peered around blearily. All was still.

Snape groaned behind him, too shocked to speak.

Harry listened to the steady pulse in his ears, and watched the double-doored entrance. His friends eventually spilled out around him, cheering.

It was finally over.

* * *

Once the prism had lifted, they realised that the feeling of being crushed wasn't real, but all in their heads. Voldemort had managed a powerful spell of hypnosis. As they got to their feet, Sakura stumbled out first. She found Karasu's discarded body on the ground in the corridor, resembling a butterfly pinned to paper. But Karasu was barely recognizable, her skin wrinkled and hair lined with streaks of grey. At her core there was a hole where her heart once dwelled. Feeling saddened, Sakura summoned the Hope card, who held the winged heart over Karasu's lifeless form.

Renona Karasuhoshi's spirit, her harsh features smoothed by a peaceful and calm demeanor, elevated from her body. She stared down at her old physical form and then regarded Sakura with a peaceful smile.

'Thank you, child,' Renona spoke, not unlike a girl that could have once been a student attending Hogwarts. Her dark hair glided around her, and her purple eyes shone. 'I became so consumed by my obsessions, that I lost sight of myself. Now, I am free…' She closed her eyes and her spirit exploded in a shower of raven feathers.

Sakura felt Renona's presence leave the room, onto another place.

She was finally at peace, and Sakura was genuinely glad of it.

* * *

The Phoenix Fighters scrambled out into the open and took in the scene: in the glaring light of the rising sun Harry stood, his back slightly bent over, the earth around him scorched with several perfect circles like someone had drawn planet orbits around him with fire. Snape stood farther behind clutching his wand feebly, his face an irritable mask as he seemed to absorb what had just transpired. Draco ran over to see if Snape was well. Ron and Hermione limped over to embrace Harry, and Chibi Moon and Trunks moved beside each other to observe remnants of the battle that had occurred moments ago.

Just as Sakura made to rush towards Harry, Syaoran grabbed her wrist and swung her around. She turned to look at him with shock, apparently still giddy with the knowledge that it was all over.

Meeting her eyes, Syaoran reached into his pocket and retrieved a velvet box. He dropped heavily on one knee before her. He opened the box to reveal an intricate silver ring set with a round, pink stone, it's simple cut capturing the morning light. He held it up to her, his hands quaking.

'Sakura,' he said, his voice throbbing with emotion, 'will you marry me?'

As the words left his mouth, the others erupted into loud cheers, squeals and clapping.

Sakura clasped her hands to her face. A mix between a sob and a giggle escaped from her lips as she nodded frantically. She kneeled down and allowed him to clumsily slip the ring onto her finger. They glanced down at the ring and then back at each other.

'I love you,' she said. She looped her hands around his neck and pulled his face to hers.

Syaoran's response was muffled by her lips. Overzealous, he leaned too far forward and sent Sakura sprawling onto her back. She laughed tearfully and pulled him down with her. They kissed passionately on the ground, their bodies encompassing each other like Yin and Yang, as though they were the only two there.

* * *

 **Author Note** : Brace yourselves! The last chapter, the one chapter to end it all...is coming!


	11. Resolutions

**CHAPTER 11: Resolutions**

Elios knew that he should not have been there, but he went anyway. He slunk gently into the Princess' chambers and sat at the end of her bed. He ran his slender fingers across the cooled pink silk covers and sighed into the quiet of the room, dimly lit by heart-shaped lamps running the length of the room. It still smelt faintly of her, the subtle aroma of her perfume's roses and strawberries.

He never thought he would be at this crossroad. He never thought that he would not end up being Chibiusa's prince, the one who always remained by her side, and carried on the Moon Dynasty into a bright future. The dream he had once, of a pigtailed daughter with silver hair and red eyes, slowly melted away from his mind's eye.

From the moment he had been made aware of the young man, Trunks Briefs, he had felt Chibiusa's heart recede. The closest sensation he could compare that pain to was like a hand that had gone limp and was slowly sliding away, fingers curling away from his grasp.

Guiltily he had informed her that her heart had become corrupted, that somehow she was no longer worthy of _Elios'_ presence. Thinking back over those many months, he sat on her bed, broken. That same man, Trunks, had saved Crystal Tokyo and its residents from the demon, Naraku; even Elios had been powerless against that demon. Of course Chibiusa could not resist falling for a hero like that.

Elios' hands clutched the bed covers tightly and a sharp gasp racked his body.

'My dear Maiden...forgive me.'

'Elios?'

He looked up blearily to see his friend Sailor Saturn, Hotaru, standing in the doorway. Her dark eyes gently regarding him as her staff rested loosely in her gloved hand. 'Are you alright, Elios?'

Elios forced his mouth into the ghost of a smile, but he promptly choked and started to sob. Sailor Saturn dropped her staff with a clack and rushed down to embrace him. Her gloved hands were warm and consoling as they ran in smooth circles over his back. He sobbed into her chest, the ribbon pressing against his cheek.

'She doesn't love me anymore, Hotaru,' he cried wretchedly.

* * *

The Phoenix Fighters observed with a mixture of surprise and amusement as Sakura and Syaoran, the newly engaged couple, kissed passionately on the ground, witless to the blood and dirt that smeared their hair and clothes.

Ron's face split into a crooked grin, as though he were having a rare lightbulb moment. He looked down at Hermione glowingly, who stared ponderously back.

'What he said,' Ron stated giddily, 'but to you, Hermione.'

Hermione blinked once. Her face turned a vibrant red as she scowled. 'Absolutely _not_ , Ronald!'

Ron gawked at her, his voice small. 'H-Hey—What?'

Hermione shook her head, her dishevelled curls swinging violently. 'How selfish, Ron. Honestly, you couldn't have waited at least a day? This is _their_ moment. And you just know you'd _have to_ ask me _properly.'_

Ron pulled his mouth back in a pained expression and then promptly assembled an award-winning smile. 'It's not selfish! I really want to. You're my number one, Hermione!'

Ron tried to hug her, but she pushed him off, pouting. She counted off her fingers. 'Very well then. How are we going to afford our own place? Pay for the wedding? And you do recall that we need to graduate and get jobs, obviously.'

He stared at her, his shoulders slumping. 'But we did graduate! What do you think this whole year's been for?!'

'Well, obviously this didn't count. We were fighting a war. And its only Muggle schooling, which won't mean much back home.'

Ron clamped a hand on his face, sighing. 'But the last year of Hogwarts is _optional.'_

'Yes, and we're obviously going to go back and finish it, aren't we?' She smiled in amusement. 'Come on, Ron. I can't be with someone who does not prize education.'

Ron saw a familiar look in her eyes and smirked. 'But you said it was part of my rogue charm.'

'Did I?' she purred.

Several feet away, Trunks watched Sakura and Syaoran with round eyes and slumped shoulders. 'Wow, those two were pretty serious. He had a ring ready and everything!'

Harry stood beside him, his wand limp in his hand. 'He's been planning to do this for a long time. He actually bought that ring the day you came to Tomoeda.'

Trunks nodded slowly. 'Wow, that's …' He glanced feebly over at Chibi Moon; she stared openly back, blushing, her long pink ponytails swaying in the breeze, grazing gently against her back. '...awkward.'

Harry looked at him strangely. 'What do you mean by "awkward"?'

'Oh, sorry.' Trunks cleared his throat as he looked away hastily from Chibi Moon. 'What were we talking about?'

Harry shrugged and grinned. He was just happy it was finally over.

* * *

On the long trek home, Harry informed the Phoenix Fighters of his discovery: that the reason he had not died all those year ago, had been the result of his mother's protection love spell. That spell had transferred to Voldemort when he had taken of Harry's blood, making it impossible for Voldemort to truly kill Harry. Also given the sacrifice that Harry was willing to make, to destroy the last fragment of Voldemort's soul, made him immune to Voldemort's attack, while Voldemort feared death above all else.

The others muttered conversation among themselves about the future, which had just become blindingly bright with opportunity. But it was Ron who brought their focus back to the present, reminding them that they hadn't eaten in hours and it was past lunch time. They were famished and exhausted. While most focused on their rumbling stomachs, a few still seemed enthralled by the latest developments.

Draco watched Sakura and Syaoran walk hand-in-hand at the front of the group, their arms swinging giddily at their recent engagement. He wondered if he would ever have something close to that.

'OH MY— NO! THAT CANNOT BE!' Tomoyo wailed despairingly, hands clutching her cheeks as she saw the silver and pink ring gleam on Sakura's hand.

Overhearing, Sakura giggled nervously as Syaoran self-consciously scratched his nose, the pair of them tinged red.

Harry sighed and waved his hands placatingly. 'But Tomoyo, I think you're missing the point. We defeated them. _And_ we're all alive.'

'But what use is that if I didn't tape any of it?' Tomoyo exclaimed with tear-filled eyes. 'I accepted not being able to capture your glorious triumph over evil — but Sakura's most important moment, too? How can I even live with myself?'

'I'm kind of annoyed about it too,' grumbled Meiling. She punched Syaoran in the arm.

'Ow, hey,' he groaned, releasing Sakura's hand to rub where Meiling had struck.

Meiling glared. 'That was awful! Couldn't you wait at least until we were _all_ there? But no! Just go on and leave the non-magic people out, as usual!''

Syaoran smiled, not allowing her nagging to wear away at his excitement. 'It was the heat of the moment, you know.' Meiling huffed as she folded her arms angrily. Syaoran placed a hand firmly on her shoulder. 'Hey, Meiling. You are happy for me, right?'

Meiling dropped the frown and nudged him teasingly in the shoulder, beaming. 'Of course, Syaoran. Always.'

Tomoyo could be heard babbling in the distance: 'Oh, but of course, if I'm the one designing your wedding dress, Sakura, I think I will feel much better, certainly.'

Sakura released a drawn out sigh. _'Tomoyo!'_

* * *

Following the last day of their non-stop battles, the crew awoke refreshed. They slinked into the living room at their leisure donning pajamas and ate cake and biscuits to commemorate their hard-won victory. But the lazy celebrations gave way to reality, that each party would eventually have to depart. Draco had made the decision to leave first, while Chibiusa and Trunks' return dates were less certain. Harry, Hermione and Ron weren't able to get a flight out to London for at least another week, thus they decided to wait.

Now Draco stared pensively at his father's wand in his hands, an elegant 18-inch wand of elm and dragon heartstring. Its weight was foreign in his grasp as he felt the gentle buzz of magic along his fingertips. He slowly pocketed the wand and turned to look up as Sakura slid down to sit beside him. He quickly wiped his eyes, attempting to mask the tears that had fallen moments earlier.

They sat quietly for a moment, staring past the house gate into the peaceful suburb. Their old man neighbour strolled by with his dog, which routinely sniffed at their gate.

The peace was nice.

Draco rubbed the back of his head, finally speaking. 'Well, I've appreciated your hospitality. It was an interesting experience, I guess.'

Sakura inclined her head. 'I knew you were not truly a bad person.'

Draco laughed incredulously. 'No seriously, I really am a bad guy.' He folded his arms and leaned forward. 'Everything I've ever done I've done out of selfishness, to save myself.'

Sakura smiled in amusement. 'Is that really true?'

Draco couldn't help but mirror her grin. 'It started out that way. Dumbledore had me protect "The-Boy-Who-Lived". But it just killed me on the inside. I had to protect the person I hated the most.' He rolled his eyes and smirked. 'The other night when I escaped my aunt's control and I attacked him...I meant it. I was so angry, and all this time, tired of _his fame_ , how everyone just _adored_ him.' His face scrunched up like he had tasted something bitter. 'The old me would have looked forward to becoming a Death Eater just to prove my own self-worth. But when I saw everyone, when I saw you and Meiling getting hurt, I realised that I didn't want to do this, my promise to Dumbledore aside. I am no murderer.'

She patted his hand gently. 'You never were. You're so much more.'

He shook his head tiredly. 'When I watched every one of my family members become a victim, deluded, at the mercy of the dark forces, I realised that that was no way to live. I don't ever want to be in that position again, ever...Just seeing my crazed aunt, mad with lust for Voldemort, reduced to grovelling in her final moments…' He sighed and rubbed a hand over his face. 'I knew then that that life was not for me. From hanging out with you all, I've been altered. Meiling showed me the virtue of determination. It was because of her courage, in spite of her lack of magic, that I learned to embrace my role in your group. To live up to "Secrecy" and to stand up for myself.' His eyes glazed with tears as he turned to her. 'It's true what I said before, you're about the only person I can stand of this lot…'

'You know we truly care about you, right?' She inclined her head.

He blinked back tears, and smiled thinly. 'You've been kind to me, even when everyone thought I had betrayed you. You never doubted me. For that, you will always be someone dear to me.'

Sakura's own eyes shone with tears. She hesitated before pulling him into a gentle embrace. 'Thank you, Draco. We will always be friends.'

Draco hugged her tightly but briefly. He cleared his throat as he stood, carefully slicking his pale hair over his head. 'Perhaps, one day... Meiling will forgive me.'

Sakura nodded. 'Surely she will.'

* * *

Sakura turned towards the front entrance and spied Syaoran, standing reluctantly in the corner, peering out at them with his hands shoved into his pockets. She felt a rush of joy.

'Excuse me a moment,' Sakura said. She moved to Syaoran by the doorway. His eyes widened when he saw her.

'What were you doing talking outside?' he asked, trying to sound indifferent.

Sakura rolled her eyes. Syaoran was trying so hard to be stoic. But she would make him see differently. 'Draco told me about his mission, and everything he's been through. Syaoran, he's changed. You really should speak to him before he leaves.'

Syaoran cocked one shoulder, looking sceptical. 'Sure. He might have changed, but I still don't trust him. And I absolutely won't ever forgive him.'

Sakura leaned forward with a sly grin. 'Syaoran, do you remember the first words you said to me? The first time we spoke?'

He blinked. 'No...but why—'

Sakura tried to speak in a tone mimicking Syaoran, saying verbatim, '"My name is obviously Chinese, dumbass. Quite a dull one, aren't you?"'

Syaoran gawked at her. 'You...I...did I say that?' His face flushed with embarrassment.

Sakura smiled. 'I wonder, now that I think about it, how I was able to forgive you for saying something so rude? Must be my "naivety", right?'

He shook his head guiltily. 'No. You're right, Sakura. You've always been.' He sighed. 'Back then, well even now, I'm still a work in progress. He and I both are.'

Sakura placed a hand on her cheek in a way that she had seen Tomoyo do, when Tomoyo said something observant or wanted to emotionally manipulate someone. It worked every time.

'Oh dear, poor Draco. He has no one now, does he? His Slytherin friends may never talk to him again. His father is sure to be shipped off to Azkaban. He'll _probably_ be disowned, erased from the family tree for being a Blood Traitor. He must feel terrible, hm?'

'Okay, okay,' Syaoran sighed heavily, as through wrestling with a difficult decision. Hands in his pockets, he moved away.

Sakura observed happily as Syaoran stepped outside and to Draco's surprise, took the blond boy's hand in a firm shake, meeting his eyes with a slight smile.

'Thank you for everything,' Syaoran said, meaning it. 'It might come as a surprise, but I'm really glad that I got to see you again, after Hogwarts.'

Draco looked shocked at first, but then smirked, returning the handshake. 'It would be a lie if I said it was not a problem. I wonder if this makes us friends again?'

Syaoran smirked back. 'Maybe friendly acquaintances?'

Draco laughed. 'Whatever you want to call it.'

* * *

They watched Draco Malfoy make the final steps past the house gates and in a flash, he disappeared. Sakura and the others muttered sadly on his departure and returned to the living room to regain a semblance of normality.

'Draco really is a complex person,' Chibiusa murmured. She turned to Meiling who stood beside her by the front gate, staring vacantly at nothing. Chibiusa felt something pull painfully at her insides. It seemed like Meiling had never really sorted anything out with Draco. Meiling hadn't been there like the others to see how boldly he had acted, confronting his own father at Karasu's lair. Did she even know of his sacrifice? Did she not see his tears? Meiling didn't even will herself to tell him 'good-bye'. And now he was gone.

Meiling's expression was blank but Chibiusa thought that she had to be suffering.

'The air smells nice. Fresh,' Meiling said finally, her tone light and frivolous. She inhaled deeply for emphasis.

Chibiusa frowned. Was it really that hard to admit that she was hurting inside?

'Meiling,' Chibiusa started cautiously, her expression solemn. 'Doesn't it bother you, knowing that you may never see him again?'

Meiling didn't say anything, her face still pulled taut, her composure unyielding. Still, her red-brown eyes shone against the sunlight, glassy with tears.

Chibiusa turned her head away from Meiling and watched the gentle sway of grass blades beneath their feet. 'He wasn't perfect, but I think you saw the good in him that most of us hadn't. So if you still doubt him, don't. And I'm sorry about the things I said before, about you and Draco. It wasn't my place. But I truly want what's best for you...because, well, I feel like you are dear to me. Beyond a friend – more like a sister.'

Meiling finally turned towards her. Chibiusa met her gaze but noticed she wasn't smiling.

'Chibiusa, while you're worrying about me, don't you think you should be worrying about yourself?'

Chibiusa crooked her neck, puzzled by the odd response. 'What do you mean?'

Meiling sighed loudly, the smile tugging at the corners of her lips at last. 'You haven't figured it out, yet? Trunks will be gone as well. Shouldn't you be talking to him instead of me?'

The words stung, like singular needles piercing painfully into her heart. Trunks was leaving soon.

That's right.

She still hadn't confessed.

But worse, she hadn't considered what 'leaving' really meant until Meiling had said it.

'Well, I'm off,' Meiling declared, her hair swinging behind her as she headed inside to join the others.

It was incredible timing, for in that moment, Trunks, who had been the last to wave off Draco, started for inside as well. Chibiusa watched his defined back muscles move under his plain white t-shirt. She hastened after him, pressed a hand to her mouth and waited. Her face grew warm with frustration. She cleared her throat and brushed Trunks gently on the shoulder, immediately regretting the gesture.

Trunks paused in his movements and slowly turned. His eyebrows rose in curiosity. 'Are you alright?' he asked casually. 'You've been acting strange lately.'

'Erm, I wanted to…' She breathed deeply. Lately, she couldn't sort her thoughts when they were face to face. She averted her gaze to her hands, which she fidgeted distractedly. 'I wanted to apologise for acting like a brat back in the cave.' She mentally scolded herself. That wasn't what she wanted to say at all.

'Huh? But that was such a long time ago!' Trunks said, sounding confused.

Chibusa laughed nervously, as she twiddled her thumbs. 'Yes, well. I admit I've behaved badly at other times too. I guess, I was on my worst behaviour then.'

Chibiusa peeked to see as Trunks shrugged. 'Oh well, it's no big deal really. I wasn't my best either, many times.'

Chibiusa shook her head. 'It's not just that! You really helped me to see that I needed to grow up. You challenged me to think more clearly. I've changed from my time here. I can look myself in the mirror and see someone I am truly proud to be.' She smiled and glanced up at him shyly. 'Because of you, I...I'm finally becoming a real lady.'

Admitting all of this, to herself, to another, felt as though a weight was lifted. Her badge said "Serenity", a reference to her true name. But Chibiusa never felt she truly embodied what it meant: calm, humility, and grace. She was always a princess, but truly becoming refined the way her mother was? Until she had come to Tomoeda, she was selfish, cowardly and distrusting of others. Though Chibiusa had always thought she was mature, the circumstances had shown she wasn't really. Trunks' resilience, Trunks' _strength_ , had helped her learn and change. He had saved her in so many ways, literally and figuratively, but she had always been too proud to show gratitude. At the same time, she was forced to confront and shed her insecurities, to become strong, confident in herself like a true heroine. _Like a real Sailor Senshi._

Plus, how could she ever forget the gift he had given her kingdom? That he had harnessed the power of the Dragon Balls, foreign magical relics from his world, and used them to save her people? How could she begin to enunciate the words, to give them the proper regard for what he had done for her and her home?

"Thank you" could never be enough.

After an extended silence Trunks' shoulders bobbed as he chuckled. 'Oh, is that what you meant? Well I guess I've done a lot of changing myself.' He folded his arms and leaned against the doorway, his smile a lopsided smirk. 'Listen, I feel really awful about it, but I never properly apologised for... _that_.' He looked at her meaningfully, quirking his eyebrows.

Chibiusa stared blankly, thrown off-guard by how flippantly he had responded to her speech. Once she registered his last line, she blushed and stammered, 'Oh! That...the kiss wasn't...I mean, I...'

Chibiusa's lower lip quivered as she felt herself suddenly drawn into the depths of his eyes like oceans. Maybe this was the moment she could finally say what she really felt, that she actually quite enjoyed kissing him and wanted to do it again some time. Yes! _This_ was that moment to declare her love.

Trunks lifted a brow and scratched his head. 'What? The kiss? Actually, I was talking about the time you saw…' He then trailed off, at last looking embarrassed.

Chibiusa felt her face glow, realising she had misinterpreted him. "That" incident, when she had seen him stark naked, happened on the first day they met. It was the beginning of what would have been a strange relationship, one that began with her openly mislabelling him a "pervert", though he did truly seem like one then. Chibiusa noticed Trunks was avoiding her eyes now while she was rendered speechless.

They stood in awkward silence. A fly whizzed by their heads.

Trunks cleared his throat. 'Um, so yeah, I think I better, um….' He pointed over his shoulder and then turned to leave.

Chibiusa jerked her hand out and screamed, 'NO! WAIT!'

Trunks halted mid-step and turned back, looking even more confused.

Chibiusa whimpered softly and clapped a hand to her face, which was hot to her own touch. She battled with her wits. That _incident_ was in the past! Why should she let mention of that stop her or make her feel nervous? She was so close! _Stupid, stupid girl!_

'Trunks! Chibiusa! We're having tea and going through photos from graduation. Would you like to join us?!' Tomoyo called from inside.

Chibiusa looked back to see Trunks ambling on inside after Tomoyo's invitation, as though they had never spoken. She slapped a hand against the door-frame in frustration. Why was this so hard?!

* * *

As they reminisced over photo after photo, hearing the rambunctious laughter in the room and the odd jokes of Ron, something caught Syaoran's eye.

Syaoran glanced at Trunks. He looked pained as he stole fleeting glances at Chibiusa and then averted his gaze to the floor. It was obvious to most that Trunks fancied Chibiusa. Syaoran hadn't realised how much until he'd seen Trunks gaze at her like _that._

'Ha, and this one! This must have been when that Kamenosuke showed up,' laughed Ron.

'Honestly, I couldn't believe how normal he was that night,' muttered Harry. 'Well, looks-wise.'

'Quite the looker without the specs, yeah?' chuckled Ron, directing a furtive look to Hermione who was extra jubilant that afternoon, splashing drops of tea from her cup into her and Ron's laps.

'Well, he must have had something going for him. He is dating Naoko now,' Tomoyo said with overt relief.

'Oh, look! Goten and Daffodil! This is a lovely one,' Hermione said, pointing at a photo on the table.

Sakura nodded. 'Trunks, I should make a copy of this for you to give to Goten when you go back.'

Trunks was silent for a moment and then chuckled distractedly. 'Oh, yeah! Right, right.'

Syaoran noticed that something about Trunks' laugh seemed off, almost forced, as it then became a weird cough. Trunks then stood abruptly and moved to the kitchen, offering to make more tea. Tomoyo regarded him with a worried look as he passed, and then her eyes shifted and locked with Syaoran's. Syaoran smiled knowingly, as though both acknowledging the same unspoken fact. Syaoran got up and headed to the kitchen.

Trunks refilled the kettle, put it on the stove and retrieved more tea from the cabinet when Syaoran stood beside him.

'You love her, don't you?' murmured Syaoran, a serious but sincere tone in his voice.

Trunks didn't look at him, or respond as he spooned several teaspoons of dried leaves into the kettle. The steam swirled around them.

'So if you love her, how can you just leave it like this?' Syaoran now felt annoyed.

Trunks met his gaze finally. His eyes were watery. 'I'm doing it because I love her.'

Syaoran's eyes narrowed. 'If you love her you should fight to be with her. Not _ignore_ her.'

'You don't understand,' Trunks replied shortly, though his voice was slightly uneven, 'I know how she feels. But none of this matters. We'll have to separate in the end, won't we? She'll be fine. She has…' he trailed off and looked back down again, 'she has someone.'

Syaoran rubbed his face with the palm of his hand, dreading the inevitable discussion, but knowing he needed to be there for Trunks at this moment. He owed him that much.

'Briefs — _er_ —Trunks,' he began calmly, 'I understand more than you think.'

Trunks raised his head and observed him quizzically.

'When Sakura and I first met we had a lot of obstacles too. When I found out I'd have to leave and return home and probably never see her again, all the while Malfoy wanted her, I wanted to give up too.' Syaoran looked at Trunks sternly though with a hint of encouragement. 'But Sakura taught me that everything will be alright in the end, and that I shouldn't give up. You can't give up either, Trunks. Even if there is someone else. If you love her, you have to tell her, you have to try. You'll regret it forever, won't you?'

Trunks' eyes widened, and he blushed slightly as he turned away. 'You're right,' he said, his tone solemn, 'but this is much different. We aren't a plane ride away, after all. We live in different dimensions.'

Syaoran opened his mouth to retort, but then closed it quickly, uncertain of a response.

Trunks shrugged as he took the kettle off the stove and set it on a ceramic tray. 'I already told her how I felt. She didn't feel the same then, I guess. But something's changed. I realised when she stayed behind with me during the last battle that she now feels the same. And it's my fault. She distanced herself back then because she had someone else, and I should have respected that. But now, because I love her, I can't worry her anymore. She needs to return to her kingdom and fulfill her duties, as I must mine.'

He looked at Syaoran who stared back at him silently.

'I admire you, Syaoran. I really underestimated you, but you're truly a great guy. Meeting you all has made me a better person.'

With his free hand, Trunks reached into his pocket and pulled out his shining blue badge, its sun gleaming more than ever, and the word "Strength" clearer than before. He continued.

'I was spoiled, always getting what I wanted. I thought about what my mother said and I realised that all of this was a test. The badge doesn't say this because I'm a Saiyajin. This whole journey was really about growing up and becoming an adult. It's about willpower. It's about having the courage to do something even when it terrifies you. This is what strength really is. Chibiusa realised this too, for herself.' He pocketed the badge once more, and grinned at Syaoran, 'So don't worry about me. I have faith in all of this. In myself. In _her_.'

Syaoran stared at him for a moment, thinking to himself, reflecting on Trunks' words. He smiled back at Trunks and extended his hand. Understanding his gesture, Trunks shook it firmly.

'I don't think I ever properly thanked you...for stopping me,' started Syaoran, then he hesitated.

He thought about the way he had lost all control, driven into a moment of madness as he thought Sakura would be lost to him forever. But that wasn't all. Trunks had also been the one to talk sense into him when he refused to trust Draco. He had been the one to bring him back to reality, reminding him that they were _all_ imperfect. That they all deserved second chances. That even he, Syaoran, had messed up when bullying Trunks out of jealousy those many months ago. Trunks had shown him something too — the virtue of being a leader; that in order to lead, you had to have faith in your team.

Trunks grinned, his grip still firm on Syaoran's hand. 'Don't mention it.' He added a light chuckle as he released it. 'Besides, looks like I've come a long way from that "weirdo" sleeping in your bed.'

'Certainly. And I'd take Trunks over Waldo any day,' Syaoran said, returning his grin. 'You'll always be my brother and I mean that.'

Trunks nodded affirmatively and took the kettle tray into the living room, Syaoran trailing behind him uncertainly.

* * *

It would be Trunks' last night in Tomoeda, his last night as a Phoenix Fighter. They all had a lavish dinner as a final good-bye. Close to 1:00 AM they lumbered up the steps to their beds. Chibiusa slipped her hand out of a sleepy Meiling's, who held a snoozing Chi-Tun in the other.

'I'll be there soon,' Chibiusa said gently, to which Meiling nodded and went on ahead. She startled at the click of Sakura's bedroom door, glimpsing Sakura and Syaoran retreating into there. She thought shyly that they must have been sharing a bed for the past week.

She moved to Syaoran's, once Trunks', shared room and spied Trunks entering.

'Hey,' she said a little too loudly in such an enclosed space.

Trunks rotated around to look at her, his mouth slightly agape in mid-yawn. She watched him complete his yawn and roll his shoulders. He folded his arms and smiled at her.

'It's been a tough journey, hasn't it?' he said. 'I know the feeling. It'll be great to finally get a decent night's sleep.'

Chibiusa felt the blood rush to her face, words not escaping her mouth. 'Wha...uh…'

Grinning, he raised a hand and affectionately ruffled her hair. She squeaked at the contact, balling her hands into fists.

He leaned away and pushed open his bedroom door. His eyes crinkled at the corners, luminous in spite of the dim. Like pockets of sky…

'Good night, Chibiusa,' he said warmly. 'Sleep well.'

Chibiusa was mute as she watched him glance at her once more and shut the door with a gentle snap.

She stood outside his bedroom door, her heart hammering in her chest. She commanded the power of the Moon, she was the heir to the throne of Crystal Tokyo, and yet she could not form the simple words needed to at last profess her love for him. Suddenly, her earlier conversation with Meiling swirled in her head.

 _Trunks would be gone as well_...

Was this a metaphor? Did this door stand between them, like an ominous reminder that they were from different worlds? That no matter how much she wanted to be with him, it could not truly be so?

No! She wasn't going to accept that. Things would sort themselves out, they had to. She was jumping ahead of herself, her first priority was telling him truthfully about her feelings.

Yet, even though she told herself this, she couldn't shake the horrible, sinking feeling in her chest. Chibiusa whimpered and clutched the doorknob as though it were a lifeline. Her hand shook as she tried to turn it, wringing her fingers until they were red. It was locked.

She leaned her ear against the door and tried to listen in. She didn't hear a thing. Did he know she was still here? Did he see the knob on the opposite end jiggling? Did he know her feelings?

'Open the door,' she uttered, the shadow of a whisper. 'Let me in... please.'

But no matter how much she willed it to be so, he did not answer.

Defeated, Chibiusa reluctantly let go of the doorknob and padded to her room. She found Meiling soundly asleep in her own bed, Chi-Tun tucked under her chin on top of the covers.

Chibiusa smiled at the sweetness of the simple gesture. She slipped into her own bed and shut her eyes, resolving to tell him tomorrow.

* * *

Kero sighed in irritation as he and Diana sat on the living room couch, watching the television on mute.

'Sometimes being the guardian stinks,' he muttered and stepped on the remote, changing the channel to a cartoon station.

'All you do is get to advise and miss out on the real action,' Diana agreed and licked her paw. 'Look at it this way, none of them permanently died.'

'That seems to be a running theme with this bunch,' Kero observed cryptically. 'But for now, everything seems to be peachy.'

'Harry and the others, are they leaving soon?' Diana asked conversationally.

'They couldn't book a flight right away. I'll be glad to have them another week.' He frowned. 'You know what bums me out the most? I didn't get to see that kid finally propose to Sakura. You'd think he would have given me the heads-up or something.'

'Well, he didn't give the same consideration to Tomoyo, so,' Diana giggled. 'But you really did know all along?'

'Well, of course. I saw him slip something into his trouser pocket a few months ago, and I thought the kid was holding out on me, that he had hidden sweets. And no one withholds sweets from me!' he explained. 'But when I got into his pocket and saw that I couldn't eat it, it was actually jewelry. Then it clicked: the kid was actually serious about her.'

'That is so romantic,' Diana sighed, looking at Kero oddly.

'Yeah, I suppose. I do wonder how they're going to coordinate that. If they get married, will they stay here or move to Hong Kong? Well, as long as I can come, it'll be alright,' Kero shrugged. 'But what about that Briefs kid, and your kid? I swear they're makin' googoo eyes at each other. It's the teenage hormones, I tell you!'

'Oh, don't get me started,' Diana sighed. 'If Small Lady...well, she's not so small anymore. But if she doesn't say something before we leave, I'm going to have to deal with the repercussions for centuries to come.'

'When teenagers complain, it really does feel like centuries,' Kero said.

Diana glanced at the ceiling. 'Yes…"feels" like centuries…"teenagers"...'

'But I am proud, really,' Kero said matter-of-factly, rubbing his chin. 'I've watched Sakura grow up from a little girl with potential to a full blown witch with almost god-like powers. It was all on account of my tutelage, of course.'

Diana inclined her head with a smirk. 'Oh, of course. Can't be a guardian without claiming the glory. The Princess has really come a long way, too. I think sending her on this mission was a fantastic choice. It's really helped to mature her into the role as future queen.'

'Yeah, but seriously, that's a lot of pressure,' Kero said with a frown. 'You guys will have to leave soon, right?'

Diana nodded gently, returning her gaze to the television. There was a sheen of tears in her eyes. 'Yes.'

Kero cocked his head, his mouth small. 'Diana…you aren't so bad after all.'

Diana looked at him, her eyes wide. 'Oh! You're not so bad yourself.' She nodded her head and asked softly, 'You know what would be cool? If I could see your "true form" one last time.'

Kero grinned confidently. 'Yes of course, I am awesome after all!' His wings expanded to begin the transformation, and subsequently knocked over a lamp and sent the Hello Kitty clock clicking onto the floor, the batteries rattling out.

Diana mewed defensively and leapt out of the way.

Cerberos roared indignantly as a painting fell onto his face and sliced an opening along his furry cheek. 'WHY CAN'T WE JUST GET A BIGGER HOUSE!'

Diana giggled and padded to sit atop his shoulder. 'You never do get that part right.' She licked his wound affectionately.

Cerberos blushed, scowling. 'I do too.'

Chi-Tun sprinted down the stairs and circled around them. The puppy leaned against Cerberos' legs and wagged his stubby tail. He gazed up at Diana with adoring eyes.

Diana rolled hers and jumped down, and patted Chi-Tun with a front paw. 'So you finally came around, Chi-Tun?'

Chi-Tun yapped softly, as though sensing something was amiss.

'Yes. We won't be here much longer. But you certainly helped me keep up my fitness,' Diana joked.

They heard a gentle cooing and watched as the owls, Errol-Number-Two and Pig glided into the room and landed on either couch arm, like two feathery bookends. Diana looked around at them all, her eyes teary.

'We will miss you all,' she said.

* * *

It was finally dawn.

For the last time he looked around at the room he had called partially his for many months. At last, Trunks secured his hilt, sword in tow and clicked it shut. Fumbling with the tiny capsule that contained his Space-Time machine between his fingers, he left the room but paused in front of Meiling and Chibiusa's bedroom. The door was open, and he looked inside. Chibiusa. She was the only one inside, and still asleep.

'Pinecone Head,' he whispered fondly as he crept into the room. He sat down on the edge of her bed and gazed down at her. He watched her chest rise and fall with deep slumber, her lips hinting a smile.

'I think I always knew you were a princess,' he whispered. 'No wonder you're so stubborn. But we really are the same, aren't we?'

He gently stroked the swell of her cheek, before running his fingers through the ends of her hair. He would not see her beautiful face anymore. He would not see her beautiful eyes, red like polished rubies, gazing at him. In scorn or adoration, he would give anything to see her gaze again.

 _'Wake up,'_ he whispered, tears stinging his eyes. 'Please. _Open your eyes_. Ask me to stay.'

But she continued to sleep, her breaths steady and gentle.

Resentfully, he removed his hand from her hair and stood up. He stared down at her once more before moving out of the room. He lumbered down the hall and down the stairs to meet the others.

In the living room, it had appeared everyone else was awake and busy. Hermione, Ron and Harry were packing their bags. Their flight would arrive and leave within days. Sakura was chatting away with them, Syaoran idly fiddling and posing with his sword while Meiling stood holding her puppy in her arms. Meiling would too be leaving, but later that day. She and Syaoran had arranged separate flights so she could prepare for university.

Trunks sighed. Draco was the first to return home and now it was his turn.

As he entered the room, everyone looked up suddenly. Without delay, the girls made a dash for him.

'Trunks!' sobbed Sakura and Hermione, clasping his hands within theirs and then squeezing him around the collar. Trunks choked slightly.

'Oh! We're never going to see you again!' Sakura bawled.

'This will be one of the hardest good-byes,' Hermione added.

The rest could see each other. They at least lived in the same realm.

Finally the others, including the boys all exchanged disheartened looks. They knew that they would also miss him.

With tears streaming down her face, Meiling cried, 'GROUP HUG!'

And with that, everyone surrounded Trunks and hugged him tightly, like they would never let go.

Tomoyo had descended the stairs in a timely fashion, and video taped the entire embrace. She lowered her camera. She too was watery-eyed. With a shriek, she set her camera down and joined in. There they all stood, hugging until Trunks finally let go and they all looked at him.

'I'll miss you guys, too. I wish it did not have to be this way. But…I have a world to defend. _And a worry-wart for a mother._ ' Smiling at Sakura's quivering lip, he took his communicator out of his pocket and tossed it to her. Sakura caught it with surprise.

'We can still catch up every now and then on that,' he said. 'Got to make sure you guys don't get up to any trouble.'

Sakura nodded tearfully, clutching the communicator to her heart. 'Thank you, Trunks.'

Trunks then smiled confidently, the others nodded and backed away from him. With a thumbs-up, Trunks turned to the door. But as he neared, glaring at the floor, each step becoming weightier, he puzzled over whether he should stall a bit longer until Chibiusa woke. He wanted to see her once more. He wanted to hear her voice.

Could he really leave it like this?

His thoughts were cut short, when he collided into someone.

'I'm so sorry,' the person muttered as Trunks looked up. He blanched.

The person he bumped into was a young man, perhaps a few years older than himself. He had a head of snow white hair, and striking copper eyes. He wore all white and something about his manner held a quiet, refined grace. Trunks gasped, gawking at him as he let him by so as to enter the house.

'On behalf of Neo-Queen Serenity of Crystal Tokyo, I've come for our princess, Small Lady,' he said softly as he passed.

'A-Are you — Elios?' Trunks rasped, whirling around with haste, not sure if what he was feeling was rage, disbelief, envy or grief, Those eyes. _Those eyes!_ 'Were you the Pegasus?'

Elios turned, his back no longer to him as he nodded, a smile on his face.

Trunks' jaw slackened as he glared down at his feet. He hated this! There really was more to that winged-horse than what met the eye. _He_ was the reason he and Chibiusa could not be together. Elios was her true love.

Elios eyed Trunks cautiously, placing a hand on his shoulder. Trunks flinched.

'Are you alright?' he asked.

Trunks looked up and glowered at Elios, surveying the face of the man who had gotten to her first.

Ellios raised an eyebrow at sensing his displeasure and removed his hand.

Trunks, after frowning for so long, finally managed a small smile. 'Elios…you're a really lucky guy. Make her truly happy, okay?'

Elios stared back at him. He did not say a word.

Trunks turned his back to him and walked until he met the front lawn, eyeing the great cherry blossom tree, which had once held his underpants.

It was time to leave. It was time to let go.

'Good-bye Tomoeda.'

Trunks Briefs released his transportation machine from its capsule. He stared thoughtfully at its outside, the word 'HOPE' in his mother's writing still there. He'd forgotten all about it but seeing it again gave him a sudden burst of optimism he couldn't explain but nonetheless was grateful for. He smiled, nodding once before leaping into the air and landing at the pilot seat. He allowed its dome covering to close. With a push of a button, he was off.

* * *

Chibiusa's eyes fluttered open. _Was it morning already?_ She stretched and yawned but then for some odd reason found herself rubbing her cheek.

'Trunks?'

Chibiusa sat up and stretched again, tossed back her covers and adjusted her nightgown.

'Trunks!' she shrieked.

She bounded into his and Syaoran's bedroom, finding the door ajar. No one was there. She scrambled down the stairs and into the living room. Nearly everyone was there except Sakura. They all seemed relatively distraught. Chibiusa did not have time to consider being distraught. Today she was going to tell Trunks her true feelings!

'Trunks! Where is he?' Chibiusa said quickly, having rushed freely into the throng.

Tomoyo gasped, suddenly looking even more sad. Hermione looked up as well, catching Tomoyo's expression and adopting it as well.

'Oh, Chibiusa…'

'What?' Chibiusa asked. 'What's wrong? Why is everyone…?'

'Trunks is gone,' Tomoyo whispered, not wanting to look at her as she said it.

 _'Gone?'_ Chibiusa breathed. It was that awful word again.

'He left, Chibiusa. He went back to his own dimension a moment ago,' Hermione intervened now standing at Tomoyo's side.

'No…' Chibiusa uttered, aghast, her breathing shallow and shoulders shuddering, hands on her heart as she trembled. She shook her head. 'He couldn't have…It's not true.'

'Chibiusa! Guess who it is?' Sakura had now reappeared, smiling brightly. At her side stood the beautiful white-haired man. Everyone stopped what they were doing or saying and stared at him, then Chibiusa.

Chibiusa's head jerked up suddenly and she gaped at him, mortified.

'Princess!' he exclaimed gleefully, his arms held out as if he were ready to accept her flight into his arms.

Chibiusa shut her eyes tightly, tears forming in them. She absolutely let go. She screamed. Shocking everyone, she lashed around and rampaged up the stairs, into her room, hurling the door shut.

All eyes fell on a bewildered Elios, as he still held his hands out. He gaped at her tracks.

'M-Maiden…'

* * *

As the dark-haired girl uttered her farewell to Chibiusa, Chibiusa barely heard it. As she wrapped her arms around Chibiusa in tender parting, Chibiusa barely felt it. And just like that, like the others before, her sister was gone.

Meiling Li had left at long last.

Chibiusa leaned against the back of her bedroom door, the room that was now hers alone and lonelier than ever. She sobbed into her hands, her nightgown sleeves damp with tears. She couldn't believe that Trunks had left without saying goodbye. She stared at the floor as tears continued to slide down her face in hot rivulets.

All the time they had lived together, she had taken him for granted. She thought back to the last time he had looked at her, just as they were all retiring to bed. The words, her confession, had sat on her tongue like hot coals, ready to jump. But she held them in. But his eyes...his eyes had been their intense beautiful blue, and warm with regard as he said 'sleep well'. The last words she would hear from him, emanating in his handsome voice. But then the words felt like a curse. She had slept well, alright. She had _overslept_.

Had he known, she wondered despairingly. Did he read her heart, like a love letter inscribed on her face?

'What's the point in wondering,' she hissed to herself and shook her head bitterly. 'He's already gone.'

But they had encountered the Future Trunks months ago, another version of him from another time, another world. Surely this wasn't it? She clung onto that frail thought, for the sake of her heart, for her sanity. She swiped at her eyes roughly and opened the door to permit Diana's entry. The cat mewed softly and gazed up at her with endearing red eyes.

'Princess, it's time to leave.'

Chibiusa bit her lip as a final sad shudder rippled out of her body.

* * *

'I miss him,' Chibiusa whispered sadly as she and Diana rode Pegasus through time and space, her hands tucked gently into his snow white mane as she pressed her face to his neck.

Pegasus was quiet for some time, before he whispered into her mind. 'The one with the purple hair?'

She shook her head. 'Lavender.'

Pegasus whickered softly and turned his head. 'Do you want to tell me about him?'

Chibiusa hesitated, her breath hitching. But the relief she felt was insurmountable as she described their time together as Phoenix Fighters, how they had started off as not so polite acquaintances, and then friends and then something more. She sighed unevenly. 'I just don't know what he saw in me,' she said miserably. 'I was so oblivious to his feelings. And then when I finally realised my own...' she stuttered and consciously stroked Pegasus' mane, almost apologetically. 'He had gone.'

Pegasus whinnied thoughtfully. 'Maybe he loves you because of your genuine heart.'

Chibiusa felt that heart in question spin in her chest and she buried her face in his neck, inhaling his familiar scent. She felt the stab of guilt, at having once loved Pegasus. But she pressed it down, like she squashed down her desire for Trunks.

'It doesn't matter now.'

They came into her time, into her world, and soared over the gleaming minarets of Crystal Tokyo, the heat of the sun beating down on their backs, the brilliant white hide of Pegasus blinding her. The reality of the fact sat heavy in her chest.

'I will never see him again.'

'Do not lose faith, dear Maiden,' he said softly as they soared down to land in the gardens. 'I will not rest until I find a way to make you smile again.'

Chibiusa gasped and started to cry. 'I'm so sorry, Elios. Thank you...I...the tears won't stop falling.' She sniffed, rubbing softly at her eyes. 'But I can't cry anymore. I promised I would be calm, serene like a true princess. I have to accept what can't be changed.'

She slipped off his sleek flank, brushed past his long wing feathers and bounded into her parents' arms, the King and Queen standing as deities to embrace their moonbeam of a daughter, Princess Small Lady Serenity.

* * *

As he watched the Princess curl into the tender embrace of the King and Queen, like a star nestling in the bosom of the sun and moon, he remembered Trunks' words:

 _'Make her truly happy, okay?'_

Pegasus gazed up into the sky, shaking his wings thoughtfully. He would surely fulfil that promise.

* * *

It was halfway through April.

The massive house felt shockingly empty, particularly now that its only remaining residents were Sakura, Syaoran, Tomoyo, Harry, Hermione and Ron: nearly _half_ of their crew. Even Kero seemed bemused by his sudden solitude, his partner-in-crime Diana and animal housemates no longer sharing in his company. It was almost like the way it was on the first day, when it had all begun, back when they had all thought their time together would be no more than a 'simple holiday'. They had aged since that August afternoon and _learned_ plenty.

It would be within a day, one final day in Tomoeda, that the Hogwarts bunch would be gone as well.

Instead of choosing to wallow in sadness, they opted to savour the moment. Harry had recalled Tomoyo's Quidditch tickets were still valid, and as promised they decided to see the local finals and Toyohashi Tengu, Japan's national Quidditch team. Of course, this revelation (that such tickets even existed) was news to Ron who then insisted that he (being in his own words, the 'biggest Quidditch fan here') had to come along as well. They managed to then acquire four more tickets so everyone could attend.

They all began the eager walk to the arena dressed in brightly-coloured yukata (prefered over robes for many Japanese wizards), all to the chagrin of Syaoran who didn't have the fondest memories of Quidditch.

'You remember? I was forced to replace Draco as Seeker for the Slytherins,' Syaoran grumbled to the others.

'I remember,' Harry said slyly. 'And I kicked your arse!'

'Not true!' Syaoran retorted, lifting a brow. 'I recall very clearly that I let you win!'

Chuckling, Ron slung his long arms around both the boys' shoulders. 'Now, now. I think we're missing the most important thing: Snape's face when the Slytherins lost the Quidditch _and_ House Cup that year! Blimey, that Slytherin captain looked like he'd get the flogging of a lifetime!'

As Syaoran and Ron broke into peals of laughter and proceeded to make jibes at the Potions Master's expense, Harry remained silent.

Severus Snape had actually saved his life.

'Snape helped you out though, didn't he?' Ron said, startling Harry for it seemed he'd read his mind. 'Why d'you suppose that is?'

Harry shrugged. 'Hmm... Dunno?'

Snape _was_ on their side, much like Draco had been. Harry had misunderstood them both. And yet, in Draco's case it was obvious he had done it to protect himself in the end. But what about Snape? For all of Harry's years at Hogwarts, he'd felt nothing but contempt from the bullying Professor. So why had he chosen to boldly defy Voldemort for Harry's sake? What was the basis of _his_ loyalty to Dumbledore?

'Harry!'

Harry was suddenly plucked from his reverie as he lowered his head, and saw Sakura waving at him.

'We're here! Look!' she exclaimed.

Harry followed where she pointed and saw that they had arrived at the massive stadium. It was beautiful, truly a masterpiece in architecture. As expected, and like the many other places that they had seen in Tokyo, it had a futuristic charm that made it look almost otherworldly, like something out of a sci-fi movie. At the same time, with its ice-white bleachers piled high to the sky and the many waving flags and wands of those in the crowds supporting their favoured teams, all of it was nostalgic and familiar. All of it was nothing short of breath-taking. After lifting his jaw off the floor, Harry's mouth broke into an effortless grin.

'You look excited,' Tomoyo giggled, now reaching out and holding his hand. Harry glimpsed down, feeling her head brush gently against his arm. Harry gave a tiny shrug, still unable to break his smile.

'Of course,' he breathed. 'It's Quidditch!'

So as it were, the group found their spots somewhere in the centre, facing the open pitch, left to gaze up at the grand goal posts on either end. Tomoyo, Harry, Hermione and Ron sat in one row while Sakura and Syaoran sat in the one directly in front of them. They watched elatedly, snacking on an assortment of wizard sweets and snacks, as the teams entered. First was the home team, the Tokyo Youkai, their red cloaks flapping with their lively march. The crowd broke into loud cheers, their team colours a flurry among the sea of spectators. From the opposite side entered the esteemed Toyohashi Tengu in midnight blue, led by their famous mascot which was actually a real tengu: a large humanoid creature with an absurdly long nose and black wings like a crow.

'Whoa, weird. Don't suppose there's any relation to Karasu,' muttered Harry under his breath to Hermione.

Hermione gasped in alarm and shuddered. 'Wouldn't be surprised if she were part tengu, really.'

Ron laughed, mirthful as he brandished his wand, its end flickering and alternating between colours, like a light stick. His shaggy red hair was partially hidden by the oversized crow's head hat on his head, one of many Toyohashi Tengu merchandise that he had purchased that day. His smile was accentuated by the twin "T's" painted onto his freckled cheeks in shimmering blue. 'Say whatever you want – they are the best team in Japan – positively _wicked!_ We are lucky to even be here right now. They've beat the Kyoto Kappa, the Osaka Oni and they're sure to make the World Cup again when they beat the Youkai today.'

Sakura turned to look back at them, eyes glittering mischievously. 'Oh really? We should bet on it, Ron. Perhaps you haven't heard about Tokyo's latest game against the Nagano Ninja? The Youkai are wonderful this year. They might just win.'

Ron guffawed, jutting a single arm into the air, 'Ha! Forty galleons, then!'

Hermione frowned, hastily pulling his arm down. 'No more gambling for you. That just never ends well.'

Harry smirked, stretching an arm over Hermione's head to jokingly thwack at Ron's hat causing loose feathers to flit about him.

'Fancy that! I thought you were a Chudley Cannons man?' Harry jeered.

Ron scowled, swatting away Harry's hand to fix his hat. 'Still am, but it's like that saying, "When roaming, roam free". Now cut that out, will you?'

Hermione groaned exasperatedly, 'It's "when in _Rome_ do as the Romans do"! Oh dear, I really must lend you my _Anthology of Idioms_ some time.'

Ron rolled his eyes, and ploughed a handful of Chocolate Frogs into his mouth. 'Nope! No more Muggle stuffs for me, thanks!' He then winked, adding, 'Besides, _you're_ wrong, Hermione. It's a saying relating to broom flying. Maybe _I_ should lend _you_ my copy of _A Wizard's Collection of Wise Words_.'

Hermione's eyes rounded, shimmering like pools of amber. 'You...you've read it? All of it?'

Ron nodded, the crow head bobbing perilously with his movements. 'You bet I did, the _whole thing!'_

 _'Oh, Ron!'_ Hermione face came to life like a blossoming sunflower. She threw herself into Ron, pulling him into a vibrant bear-hug that knocked his hat into the next bleacher, smacking the nape of Syaoran's neck.

Syaoran yelped angrily while Ron gurgled in response.

At last, the horns sounded and the two teams shot into the air, the sky as brilliant, clear and boundless as their exhilaration. The crowd screamed wildly, waving their arms. The teams played viciously, Bludgers and Quaffles flying and cloaks swirling as they breezed through and cut past their opponents. Both Seekers were so good at thwarting the other, that there seemed no end in sight in finding that elusive Golden Snitch. Rapt in the intensity, before the spectators had realised it, the battle had gone on for at least an hour, and the two teams had to take pause for a halftime break. As the fans waited, the teens broke into conversation. They couldn't help but reminisce about the eight months they had endured and relished together.

'You know, that Dimension Witch was helping us the entire time but never explained why some of those heroes were so useless at times,' Harry wondered aloud.

Hermione shrugged. 'Well I'm sure it's as Kagome implied. Yuuko gave them an option to fight their own enemies alongside us, but she didn't control them. It was their choice.'

Sakura leaned over the bleachers, head bobbing as she listened in on their conversation.

'Personally, I'm worried about Dumbledore. Something was wrong with his hand. Did you see it?'

Harry nodded. 'It was very odd. I noticed the ring, that Horcrux, was on the same hand as well.'

Hermione stroked her chin thoughtfully. 'I wonder if Voldemort's Dark Magic had anything to do with it? I admit, I hadn't any time to research Horcruxes since that day. Information on them is quite scarce.'

'About that,' Harry muttered, seeming impressed. _'Voldemort_ , Hermione?'

Hermione sighed. 'Well, we can't be afraid to say his name forever, right?'

Harry smiled proudly. 'Yeah. Dumbledore always said that.'

Sakura nodded sadly. 'I hope he'll be okay.'

Harry sulked. He really hoped so as well. It would be a shame if something happened to Dumbledore for Hogwarts seemed to really need healing. After all that had happened while they were away: the replacement of their DADA teacher with the Death Eater, Barty Crouch Jr., the reign of Dolores Umbridge, the formation of the DA by Ginny, the divisions between Houses, the secrecy of the Ministry for Magic and the wrath of Lucius Malfoy and other loyal supporters of Dumbledore. Amidst all that chaos, more than ever, Hogwarts needed their revered Headmaster. They needed Dumbledore.

Ron yawned, folding his arms behind his neck.'I remember Dumbledore quite clearly saying something about "being out of time"...imagine if he just suddenly kicked the bucket?'

When Ron finished, he had an odd smirk on his face, though everyone else seemed to respond with an expression of horror.

Hermione promptly whacked him across the head, his crow hat tumbling off for the second time. 'That was a _horrible_ joke! Not funny at all!' she hissed.

'Ow—Hermione, what the hell! I wasn't trying to be funny. I mean, he's _old_ , isn't he?'

Syaoran sighed, overlooking their bickering, and gazed wistfully at the sky. 'So much happened since we met again in Tomoeda.'

'I guess we go our separate ways tomorrow?' Harry said, also taking interest in the sky.

'Who knows how long it will be, if ever, before we reunite?' Sakura said with downcast eyes, her voice noticeably quiet.

'Don't be daft, of course we'll meet again! We have to,' Ron interjected, the hat now magically secured onto his head.

* * *

'Really? You think so?' Tomoyo said, surprising everyone for it had been a while since she had spoken.

Ron gave a single nod, and crossed his arms. 'Does the sun not rise? Like the sun the phoenix always rises again. And by the Order of the Phoenix, we shall rise!'

'That was oddly profound. But I'm not sure how that applies to this situation,' Harry noted with a wry grin.

The tips of Ron's ears reddened, and he fumbled shyly with the beak of the crow head, tugging it downwards as though trying to mask his blush. 'Well. Like... you know….'

Hermione shook her head, and averted her gaze. Suddenly she spun back around, nudging Ron, pointing down the bleachers at Sakura and Syaoran.

'Look! They're kissing. How _adorable_ ,' she said in a loud, admiring whisper.

'Oh! I have to get this on film, give me a moment!' Tomoyo tittered. She motioned towards the floor between her feet where she had stowed her belongings. She made to withdraw her camera from her bag when she felt a light tap on her shoulder. She glanced up to see Harry.

'Hey Tomoyo — just wait a minute,' Harry said softly. She raised herself slowly, eyebrows upturned as he laid a hand over hers, forcing her to release the camera.

'Huh? Harry?' Tomoyo felt her cheeks suddenly brighten, noticing the enchanting gleam of his bright green eyes. She was enamoured, shivering slightly as she felt the warmth of his hand touch her cheek. Her eyes widened as he neared, and fluttered closed as she felt his lips brush softly against hers. The kiss was, as Harry Potter was, as these eight months had been...truly _magical._

'My turn!'

Tomoyo's eyes shot open, and she flinched, flustered as the shock of flashing lights flickered across them. Sakura had Tomoyo's camera pressed against her face. She lowered it from her eyes, beaming. _She had photographed their kiss!_

'H-Hey!' Tomoyo gasped, feeling mildly embarrassed as Harry wrapped an arm around her shoulder and drew her in close, planting a second kiss on her forehead.

The others broke into laughter, while Sakura peace-signed with her free hand, playfully sticking her tongue out at Tomoyo. Well, Tomoyo supposed she deserved it. After all these years she had taken Sakura's most precious moments; someone needed to capture hers.

The crowd burst into applause again as the two teams returned to the pitch. The group scrambled, returning their focus to the front. The game would be on once more.

Tomoyo smiled. Ron's words made sense after all. After everything they faced, they always endured. After all that had happened, even when they'd each sunk to their lowest points, they had managed to rise up and become better, greater, stronger. They had grown up. They had learned the value of life and lived up to their virtues: Kindness. Perception. Fortitude. Intellect. Loyalty. Leadership. Determination. Strength. Serenity. _Secrecy._

As certain as the sun was to rise, they too were certain to cross paths again, somewhere, _somehow_ in this crazy, gigantic universe.

They were the Phoenix Fighters.

And they would be just fine.


	12. Epilogue

**EPILOGUE**

Tomoyo's ears buzzed with the gentle whir of her sewing machine as she glanced at the window overlooking the London harbour. She watched a white ferry, like a floating ice palace, cut a rippling line across the dark harbour waters. Seagulls, like falling snowflakes, littered the harbour walk around the moving dots of tourists.

She still could not believe that she was here, in one of most charming cities in the world, one she had read about in classic literature as a child. Now it was her home.

She recalled with fondness, after the final battle with Voldemort, that Harry had returned to Scotland to complete his seventh year at Hogwarts. Meanwhile, Tomoyo was accepted into Tokyo Business School. When Harry had completed his final year of Hogwarts, Tomoyo made the painful decision to leave Tomoeda. It had been a year that brought about big changes. By happenstance, her mother had recently opened up a branch of the Daidouji Toy Company in London, and she saw Tomoyo fit to assume an administrative role while transferring to complete her studies at the University of London. When Tomoyo arrived, Harry had started working as an Auror and the two became engaged until she completed her studies.

Now, six years since, she was the CEO of the Daidouji Toy Company's London branch, with an increasing market in electronic toys. She and Harry had been married for three years, and shared a much more lavish apartment overlooking the London harbour. Her favourite part of their home was the large window that allowed her to admire the scenery while taking to her favourite hobby of sewing on the weekends.

She heard footfalls on the pale carpet and turned to regard her husband, Harry. He smiled, his green eyes crinkling from behind round spectacles. 'I'm ready to go when you are,' he said as he knelt down and kissed her cheek.

'Oh, I've just finished your new robes,' Tomoyo said and held out her latest sewing project to him.

Harry took up the midnight blue robes, the trim stitched with silver stars, and admired it in the natural light. 'Wow, hun. Your sewing skills might as well be magic. I don't understand how you find the time to sew.'

'What makes you think it isn't magic of a sort?' Tomoyo joked, smiling mischievously.

Harry felt a leap of joy. He still could not believe that this beautiful woman was his wife. It had seemed like such a journey to get to this point, where he felt reasonably safe and happy. That he finally had a home and family.

Following the final battle with Voldemort and returning to his final year at Hogwarts, Harry had returned to a school that had seen war and would never be the same. It was a surreal year: there was gentle reverence towards him by most students, but a resentful hesitation from Slytherins. Following the war, Professor Dumbledore had permanently retired from the post, and Professor McGonagall assumed the role of Headmaster. Attending Muggle school for almost a year, which had emphasised the importance of university, and then returning to the Wizarding world, had almost been as much of a shock as returning from war. It was like Harry had to relearn his entire life. But it had been an invaluable time to share one final year of education with his best friends, Ron and Hermione.

Upon graduating from Hogwarts, what was there to do but to continue to make a difference? The Auror occupation called to him, like a herald of change. Now he and Ron worked together in the same team under the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Over the six years in this occupation they had encountered many attempts by others to claim the "Dark Lord" sigil, but they would not let it happen again.

Harry was pulled out of his thoughts by the phone ringing. The robes draped on one arm, he lifted the receiver to his face with the other. 'Hello?'

'HEY MATE!' Ron's voice boomed. Harry had to hold the receiver away from his face, his ear aching. 'IT'S ME! CAN-YOU-HEAR-ME FROM WAY OUT HERE? _IT'S RON!_ '

Harry grimaced and tentatively responded, 'Oh for goodness sake, Ron! I _know_ it's you! And you're talking far too loudly, again!' He glanced wryly at Tomoyo.

'He never does get that right.' Tomoyo said as she shook her head. She giggled as Harry pulled a face.

Harry then heard a child crying in the background. He heard a woman's sigh, some static and then Hermione. 'Oh Ron, let me do it. Here, hold her. Hello, Harry? It's Hermione. I'm sorry about that. I had my arms full.'

'The bloke near yelled my bloody ear off though!' Harry laughed.

'Yes, well, I suppose he's excited. Sakura is due soon. We should probably get out to Japan, our flight is boarding. See you soon, Harry. Say hello to Tomoyo for us.'

'Thanks, Hermione. Safe flight.'

'Oh, well, you know how it went last time,' Hermione said cryptically over the ever-rising wail of a baby's cry and hung up.

Harry grinned at the phone and set it down. He walked over to Tomoyo. 'Sakura's due soon.'

Tomoyo's eyes sparkled. 'I'm so happy. Sakura's going to be a mother!'

Harry chuckled and patted her gently at her middle. 'You should be excited for yourself.'

Tomoyo blushed. 'I do wonder what we'll call him.'

'I've got a few ideas, actually. I do favour James, or Albus, or even Severus. Why not all three?' Harry said fondly.

Tomoyo kissed his hand. 'Those sound good. Or we could go with Eriol.'

'I think he would like that a little too much,' Harry joked.

Eriol Hiiragizawa had recently assumed the role of Hogwarts Headmaster, following the early retirement of McGonagall. It seemed that it was not the DADA position that was cursed, but rather the Headmaster position. Following the last year of Hogwarts, Professor Dumbledore passed away. Harry had angrily blamed Ron for cursing him with his "non-joke joke", but Dumbledore had been old. Naming his child Albus would be a nice dedication.

'Oh, when can we tell Sirius?' asked Tomoyo as she stood and moved into their bedroom where their luggage was waiting.

Following the defeat of Voldemort and the collection of Peter Pettigrew's body, Sirius Black, Harry's godfather, was acquitted of all charges. He lived quietly at 12 Grimmauld Place. He and Harry met once a fortnight at a pub around the corner of his place to have a drink and a long talk.

'I was thinking on his birthday. It's next month,' replied Harry.

Tomoyo pulled their bags into the living room, her eyes sparkling. 'That is a grand idea,' she said.

Harry smiled as he took his bag from her and they moved towards the door. They glimpsed around their place with its neutral tones and aesthetic furniture. They looked back at each other. 'We'll need a bigger place soon.'

* * *

Ron and Hermione hurtled through the airport towards their terminal, maneuvering around the mass of a thousands of bodies pressing towards reception, tripping over luggage, being blinded by blue flickering screens, and deafened by a woman's robotic voice chorusing over them, making final calls and announcing delays.

Hermione gained pace ahead of Ron. She blew a wisp of frizzy hair from her face as she had her two sons, Hugo and Brian, squealing as they were strapped to her chest and wheeled a large case behind her. Ron briskly followed, Rose, the daughter of their triplet set, nestled to his chest as his arms were up to the elbows with luggage.

'London to Japan, boarding…' the woman called over the speaker.

Ron swore and they sped up. 'We could have made this _so_ much easier...'

'No swearing in front of the children! And we're not going over this again. This is much more practical, Ron,' Hermione admonished between breaths. 'It's much too cumbersome to apparate across continents with three babies, and Floo Powder is out of the question.'

They breathed with relief as they made it to the gate, caught behind an overweight pair dressed in khakis and sandals. The pair threw disparaging looks over round sunglasses, as though predicting the disaster that would be sharing a plane with three young babies. Ron scowled at them and retrieved their slightly crumpled tickets from his pocket.

He stroked Rose's light ginger head. 'We really could have just gotten your parents to babysit.'

'Well, no. My parents are on holiday, remember? Your parents could pitch in, though.'

'Hardly. Mum's too busy dealing with Fred and Ginny's brats.'

'Those brats are your nieces and nephews,' stated Hermione.

Ron knew that, but he still couldn't believe it. Being an uncle made him feel much older than even being a father! Following Hogwarts, Ginny also became an Auror along with Ron and Harry. She was currently serving on an overseas assignment, leaving Dean to tend to their daughter, Carla. While Angelina played as a Chaser for the Holyhead Harpies, Fred, with George, jointly ran the Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes in Diagon Alley. This left their mother, Molly, to look after their two boys, Fred (The Second) and George (The Second), who were quite a handful, much like their namesakes.

At last they were accepted onto the plane and bustled into their row equipped with a large cot lined with white blankets. As Ron set the three squawling babies into the cot, Hermione pulled out a copy of the Daily Prophet from her bag and propped it onto her lap. She looked at her watch and leaned back.

'We're going to miss the birth,' she said sadly.

Ron subdued the children and rubbed her shoulder lovingly. 'Don't worry, Hermy. We'll get there.'

Hermione sighed and opened the newspaper. She saw an article on the second page and pulled it closer. 'Lucius Malfoy released from Azkaban!' she gasped and showed it to Ron. They both gawped at the black and white moving image of Lucius Malfoy, looking gaunt but well dressed, strutting out on the street beside his equally thin wife.

'Well, I suppose he's served his time,' said Ron carefully, his brow furrowed. 'But it does make me think about…'

'What happened to their son,' Hermione finished, nodding.

'Do you think he'll show up?' Ron asked softly.

'I don't know. The others haven't heard from him,' Hermione replied. 'We're going to be here for a while. Might as well fit in some light reading.' She tucked the Daily Prophet back into her bag and withdrew a thick novel on Ancient Runes.

Ron rolled his eyes at the book and withdrew an inflight magazine from the seat pouch in front of him. He flicked through a few pages and stopped. He slid the magazine in front of Hermione's book. There was a two-page advertisement for luxurious men's watches, but what caught their attention was the model: a tall, lean Englishman with white-blond hair brushing artfully around angular features, his grey eyes cast nonchalantly somewhere off to the side, his pale hand clasping a watch with three small dials and glistening with jewels.

'My, he's certainly...come up in the world, hasn't he?' Hermione said, bewildered.

'Blimey! Is that how Muggles wear watches now?' Ron asked, noting that Draco was not wearing the watch but rather grasping it.

'We now know Draco is a model, and _that's_ what you take away from it?' Hermione sighed. 'Well, it's an advertisement for a...Hong Kong brand.'

'Well, I'll be!' Ron gasped. 'That means—'

Hermione nodded and smiled slightly. 'He's been around.'

Ron gave a low whistle. 'Well, there goes the theory from The Quibbler that he's been camping out in the mountains with Yetis for the last seven years.'

Hermione lifted a brow. 'Since when have you been reading The Quibbler?'

Ron shrugged, 'Not reading, but you know Luna's converted Ginny. It's all the two of them talk about…"The latest issue said this", "the latest issue said that".' Ron lowered his eyes, noticing Hermione had returned attention to her book. 'Hey, 'Mione? Since when did "runes" constitute _light_ reading?'

Hermione gave him a dismissive stare. 'I have my eyes set on the Department of Magical Law Enforcement deputy position. Never hurts to be prepared on all fronts.'

Ron sighed. 'You've only been in Control and Regulation of Magical Creatures for two years and you're _already_ looking at promotions?'

When Hermione didn't respond, Ron sighed again, returning his attention to the magazine. After growing bored with that, he flicked on the television to watch an in-flight film.

As soon as they landed, Hermione turned on the mobile phone to see that they had missed seven calls from Syaoran. Hermione phoned him back immediately.

Syaoran answered with sleep in his voice, 'The baby will be along any time now.'

'We've just landed. We're on our way,' she replied breathlessly and stood up. 'When are we disembarking?'

'Ma'am, please take your seat,' a male flight attendant advised. 'We've only just landed, and we need to bring in the steps.'

Hermione sighed gruffly and planted herself down. 'If we miss it…' she said, a warning tone in her voice.

On cue, their three cherubs started to squawk. Ron muttered under his breath and tended to their brood.

* * *

Syaoran ended the call and scrambled back into the delivery room to take his place beside Sakura. He took her hand and squeezed it.

She lay on the bed beneath white sheets, her auburn hair tied back from her face, her skin slightly clammy. She smiled up at him reassuringly, though he knew she was in pain.

When Syaoran looked at her, he recalled everything that had happened up until that point. Following high school and the defeat of Voldemort, Sakura went to work for the Japanese Ministry of Magic as an Auror, often assigned to more unusual missions due to her talent. Syaoran went on to study at the Tokyo University and studied Mathematics, now a teacher at a secondary school.

He recalled during their study that he moved into Sakura and Tomoyo's home. How he and Sakura went to Hong Kong to arrange two weddings: one traditional, one western. Both days had been starkly different, but it overjoyed him to think that he would get to marry Sakura two times. The first, she came out in a enchanting red Qi Pao threaded with gold. The second, a gleaming white gown embroidered with red and pink roses (Tomoyo's design). He cried at both. Although many of their friends had been there, Meiling, Tomoyo, Harry, Hermione and Ron, he still felt the absence of those who could not. Sometimes they contacted Trunks and Goten on the communicator, but their interactions were brief. They had heard nothing from Chibiusa or Draco.

'Sakura dear, do you need anything? Water? _Wine?'_ Sonomi yelled, startling both Syaoran and Sakura.

Syaoran frowned as his mother-in-law entered the room ever dressed in a business suit, her face drawn with concern. He recalled, not so fondly, her conduct during both of their weddings. She and alcohol were a disastrous alchemy, and he was happy she wasn't drinking now. But to offer a pregnant woman wine?

'I'm alright, thank you Sonomi,' Sakura said gently, and squeezed Syaoran's hand to stop him from saying something rude.

Syaoran grimaced and said nothing.

Sakura gasped, 'I think it's time.'

'Oh my. OH MY! FUJITAKA!' Sonomi screamed and Sakura's father dashed in.

Syaoran felt his heart race as the doctor and staff came in and surrounded the bed. Syaoran stepped back. Moments passed, and between tense stares, encouraging words, biting their lips and watery eyes, the love of his life gave birth to their child.

'What is it?' Sakura asked weakly.

Syaoran's eyes misted with tears as he glanced from the babe to Sakura's face. 'It's a girl,' he whispered.

They wrapped the little girl into a knitted blanket and placed her into Sakura's arms. The baby had rosy cheeks and a tuft of brown hair like Syaoran's. Syaoran kissed Sakura's forehead, wrapped an arm around her shoulders and stared admiringly at their baby.

'Her name is Nadeshiko,' Sakura said suddenly.

Syaoran grinned tearfully. 'I love you.'

Sakura's eyes glistened. 'I love you, too.'

Sonomi leaned in, tears in their eyes. 'What a perfect name. Beautiful, just like her namesake.'

Fujitaka clapped a hand on Syaoran's shoulder. 'Now we're both fathers.'

Syaoran nodded tearfully. So they were.

Fujitaka moved off to the side to call Touya and Yukito to announce the birth. They would arrive in Tomoeda the following week to spend time with their new niece.

Suddenly loud heels tapped on the ground. Someone shouted, 'You can't come in here! There's a three person-guest limit.'

'Move, lady! I need to see my niece!' Meiling clacked into the room, her heels a patent nude leather, her two-piece suit a grey-blue, her hair cropped into a bob with an asymmetrical, razor-cut fringe. She stared over at Sakura in the bed and tears sprung in her eyes. 'I'm an AUNTY! She's _gorgeous!'_ She turned to Syaoran with the biggest grin. 'Your mother said to give her a call. She's planning on coming over to Japan in the next few weeks.'

'I'll call her now while I grab a drink for Sakura,' Syaoran answered as he briskly made his exit.

Meiling nodded frantically and resumed coddling over her new cousin, though she thought of her affectionately as a niece since Syaoran was like a brother to her.

Syaoran stepped in into the waiting room. He saw Tomoyo and Harry waiting there. They stood up and smiled hopefully.

'I'll get Sonomi and Fujitaka to come out in a moment, then you can see,' Syaoran explained. He, returned to usher Sonomi and Fujitaka out into the waiting room. Tomoyo's squeal echoed out into the waiting room.

'Actually, Syaoran, we need to be off,' Fujitaka said kindly and clasped a snivelling Sonomi's hand. 'We'll see you both very soon. Congratulations, again. We're so proud of you both.'

'Thank you, Fujitaka, Sonomi. We'll call you tomorrow,' Syaoran replied and hugged Fujitaka and Sonomi good-bye.

Syaoran sighed happily and reached into his pocket. He dialed his mother's number.

'Xiao-Lang?' Yelan Li's stern voice said.

'It's a girl,' Syaoran replied calmly. 'We named her Nadeshiko, after Sakura's mother.'

'Very well. You will no doubt have a son next,' Yelan said. Syaoran could hear his four sisters squealing in the background. Yelan sighed. 'Did Meiling tell you that we're planning on coming over and staying for a few months?'

Syaoran grimaced at the prospect of having his mother and four older sisters in the home. 'That sounds great. Will...the week after next be okay?'

There was a pause. No doubt Yelan was frowning. 'Yes. That sounds agreeable.'

'Thank you, Mother,' Syaoran sighed. 'Thank you for being patient. I'll send photos tomorrow.'

Syaoran could visualise Yelan's face settling into a gentle regard. 'Of course. I'm...proud of you, Xiao-Lang.'

'Thank you, Mother,' Syaoran replied, his face breaking into a smile. 'I'll call tomorrow.'

Syaoran ended the call and turned to see a tall blond man standing beside the row of food dispensers. He was dressed in a tailored black suit to match is patent black brogues, his hair slicked back from his face. He had a slightly puzzled expression, as he had overheard Syaoran's conversation.

'What are you doing here?' Syaoran asked.

'I could ask you the same,' Draco Malfoy said with a smirk. 'Shouldn't you be in the delivery room with your wife?'

'There's a person limit. Tomoyo and Harry are taking their turn.' Syaoran folded his arms, his eyes wide.

'I, um, came with Meiling, actually,' Draco explained. 'I...want to see the baby too. I was hoping it would be a boy, so you could name him after me, "Xiao Long".'

'Well, too bad. It's a girl, and her name is Nadeshiko.'

'Pity. Maybe the next one then.'

Amused, Syaoran sniggered and punched Draco playfully in the shoulder. 'But where have you been all this time? Kind of an odd place to make your reappearance.'

Draco looked bashful. 'I've been in Hong Kong recently. I've been learning Mandarin: the traditional way. No cheating.' He waved his hands, chuckling. 'I'm not very good. Which I suppose is fine since the locals hardly speak it.'

This was all news to Syaoran. Meiling hadn't said a thing…

Recalling that he was going to get Sakura a beverage, Syaoran reached into his pocket to look for spare change. He found none.

Draco, seeming to note his actions, slipped a note to Syaoran. 'Got you covered. Modelling is a very lucrative trade.'

Syaoran raised his eyebrows, took the note and slipped it into the vending machine. 'Modeling...huh…'

* * *

Draco grinned as he watched Syaoran collect a bottle of mineral water from the dispenser. He sometimes forgot that Syaoran and Meiling were related, because they were so different. But the similarities he did see were their empathy for others, and their stubbornness.

Draco reflected ruefully how he had reached this point in his life.

Over the two years following the defeat of Voldemort, Draco travelled extensively throughout Europe and Asia, using what reserves of his family's riches he had scrimped from their final meeting. He missed his mother dearly but dared not contact them, knowing of his father's imprisonment in Azkaban and the inevitable confrontation. It was of some comfort to know that the Ministry had banished Dementors indefinitely from the prison.

Draco worked in bars and inns to earn his keep between hiking across plains and gullies. At 22 years of age, he came upon the darkly polished double-doors of the Li Clan compound, its mahogany triangular roofs lined with dragons, their snouts pointed into the sky. The Li Clan Elders, with their long, wiry beards and penetrating eyes judged him warily, his ragged clothes, weather-beaten skin and pale stubble. He had fortuitously happened upon them on the eve of Meiling Li's matching meeting.

Draco watched from a dark corner as the Li Clan and another prominent Hong Kong wizarding family, the Changs, promised Meiling and Boyan Chang with an exchanging of symbolic rings and gifts. Meiling looked like a goddess, dressed in a red flowing dress, her hair done up in ornate loops, her eyes lined with charcoal.

According to the exchange, it was such a shame that Meiling was magically impotent, considering they were a Pureblood line. But surely combining the two bloodlines of such prominent families would produce sons of merit and power. Meiling's face did not hint at emotion, as she glanced indifferently at Boyan, resigned to her fate.

Draco felt something break in him. How dare they posit her being some sort of broodmare, her worth only determined by her ability to conceive magical children? But how dare he judge: given time, his own family would have arranged such a match. The pangs of realised hypocrisy aside, Draco could not relent to this arrangement: following the ceremony he dragged her into the shadow of the compound gardens, and he begged her to not accept the match. He would give her everything, do anything, to be with her. If she did not want children, he would not force her. She could be anything, she could do anything she wished. Meiling looked at him pointedly, a film of tears in her dark eyes.

'Two years,' she stated firmly and left him alone.

The next day, the Li Clan rejected the match with the Changs, which certainly caused strains within the Hong Kong magical community. Draco was given two years to prove himself worthy of their beautiful bell, Meiling Li. He trained with Syaoran's sisters in martial arts, calligraphy and magic. None of this had been relayed to Syaoran. On the anniversary of the two years, when the Elders scrutinised his progress, he was deemed unworthy. The Malfoy family had been disreputed since his father's imprisonment. Draco felt he would go mad with grief.

Meiling entered the room then, her face set in a stern frown.

'I choose him,' she said.

On second reflection, the Elders grudgingly conceded that the Malfoy bloodline was a plausible match, although future exchanges would be heavily monitored.

During this interlude, Meiling worked in a government department and through one casual modelling gig, introduced Draco to an agency. From there, he did a few small fashion catalogue and runway appointments, gradually building up a portfolio. He had recently broken into the Hong Kong market, as the current taste was for blond, blue-eyed men. It didn't hurt that he also had the adequate combination of height and lankiness. He thought sheepishly, how he quite enjoyed being able to make money and gain prominence by using qualities he already possessed. How very Slytherin of him.

Draco fretted the day his father was released from prison: that had been very recently. Meiling insisted on finally meeting his mother and father. It would not be long. But for the moment, the fact that two of his dearest friends, Sakura and Syaoran, had a child, was enough to keep him happy.

Draco heard the collective wail of babies, like sirens. He looked up to see Ron and Hermione standing in the waiting room doorway, their arms full of screaming bubs and luggage. They looked simultaneously flustered and pale.

'You made it before us?!' Hermione snapped incredulously.

'Well, bugger me, then!' Ron exclaimed tiredly.

Harry and Tomoyo stepped out of the delivery room and went to embrace Ron, Hermione and their three children.

Harry paused and turned to gawp at Draco. _'Malfoy?!'_

Draco folded his arms and sneered, 'Potter.'

'We saw you in our inflight _Muggle_ magazine. My, how far we've fallen,' Hermione said scathingly.

Draco rolled his eyes. 'At least I'm using my talents to achieve greatness, beyond spellbooks. Of course not _everyone_ can be so handsomely gifted. Some things — like looks— can't be found in a book, you know.' He chuckled lightly, noticing the subtle formation of bags under her eyes.

'Looking miserable in print and posing half naked doesn't qualify as a talent,' groused Hermione through gritted teeth.

'WHAT?!' Ron cried out as he gaped wide-eyed at Hermione, his voice echoing against the pristine white walls of the hospital's hallways. Several nurses and guests gave him disapproving glances in passing.

Tomoyo placed a hand on her cheek. 'Oh my, I'm getting a strong sense of déjà vu!'

Harry groaned as the others continued their bickering. 'Ugh…for heaven's sake, how old are we?'

Ron's voice had dropped to what was a poor attempt at a whisper, 'When did you see him _naked,_ Hermione?'

Hermione gave him a wry stare. 'Oh, hush. I'm just trying to make a point.'

'I don't see thousands of adoring fans gushing with epithets of praise on how annoyingly pragmatic you are,' countered Draco, ignoring Ron. 'But I do see your qualifying talent is contributing to the world Weasley population.'

'Draco! STOP!' Meiling snapped as she clacked into the wait room. 'That is no way to speak to friends!'

'Granger took the first swipe,' Draco muttered grudgingly. 'I only delivered the final blow.'

'Please, it would only count if I were actually offended,' said Hermione waspishly as she consciously rubbed at her two sons' heads. 'I love our children.'

'Good to know somebody does,' Draco said lamely, brushing back his hair and looking disinterestedly elsewhere.

Ron frowned. 'Yes. I reckon love from a parent isn't something you'd be—'

He was suddenly cut off by a loud cough from Harry. 'Ron…too far,' he said warningly.

Draco turned back to Harry, meeting his eyes in surprise. Of all the people to come to his defense? Harry Potter? He glimpsed Hermione and Ron, who looked shocked and then remorseful.

'Mate, it was a bit misdirected. We're...we're just really pissed off that we missed the birth,' Ron said.

'After a 14 hour flight, no less,' Hermione added.

The others made sympathetic sounds. Syaoran stepped into the room just in time, glanced warily around at them all and then pointed his thumb over his shoulder. 'Ron, Hermione — your turn now.'

Ron and Hermione recovered a modicum of dignity. They handed their triplets to Harry and Tomoyo and swept into the room past Syaoran.

Suddenly Tomoyo shrieked and rushed at Meiling, carrying the babbling redheaded baby with her. 'IS THAT AN ENGAGEMENT RING?'

Meiling laughed liltingly and held out her well-manicured hand proudly. A large, round yellow diamond set in a white band sparkled on her finger. Draco blushed in embarrassment.

'It's antique. Nice, huh?' Meiling preened.

Tomoyo giggled excitedly. 'Oh! I need to hear all the details. Do you mind if I record it? I saw some good lighting at reception.'

'Sure,' said Meiling glowingly. 'After, why don't we all have dinner?'

'Sakura and Syaoran are currently living at our old place. It will be large enough to accommodate us all,' Tomoyo said.

'Is Sakura even ready to leave the hospital?' Meiling asked incredulously. 'She only just gave birth.'

Syaoran stuck his head outside the delivery room and gave a thumbs up. 'She's not the Card Mistress for nothing.'

'Fast healing,' Tomoyo enunciated to their nonplussed friends.

* * *

A few hours later, the group arrived at the familiar entrance, nostalgic as they took off their shoes and settled into the living room. They heard a loud gasp as Kero appeared from the kitchen, a biscuit in one of his paws and crumbs on his face.

'BABY SAKURA!' Kero exclaimed and leapt onto Sakura's shoulder, peering down at the sleeping baby nestled in her arms. His eyes sprung with tears. 'Did you name it Cerberos-Yue like we discussed?'

'Nadeshiko,' Sakura replied tiresomely. 'But she hasn't a nickname, so...'

That seemed to satisfy Kero as he flitted off to celebrate with more biscuits.

'This is amazing. I still can't believe you're a mother!' Tomoyo sighed happily as they all sat down onto the old couches and throw pillows.

'Oh, she's cute now, but wait until she starts becoming autonomous,' Ron said as Hugo raked his face with tiny fingernails. Ron sighed as Brian giggled and sucked on his fingers. 'They're quite messy too. And we've forgotten what sleep feels like. '

'Can't wait to join the club,' Harry chuckled as she tucked an arm around Tomoyo's shoulders.

Everyone looked at him in confusion.

'Did you get a dog or something?' Ron asked confusedly.

Tomoyo quirked an eyebrow. 'We're expecting.'

'No way! Oh, Tomoyo!' Sakura exclaimed. 'That is great news.'

'Congratulations, you two,' Syaoran agreed, shaking his head in awe. 'Seems we're all having kids these days.'

'It does seem to occur in rotations,' said Hermione, and she glanced at Tomoyo. 'How far along are you, may I ask?'

'Oh, we've just made it to the second trimester,' Tomoyo said.

'So you know whether it's a girl or a boy?' Draco asked with feigned disinterest. Meiing patted his knee nervously.

Harry glanced at Draco. 'Yes. But we're keeping it a surprise.'

'Imagine if you had triplets. Wouldn't that be a riot,' Hermione blurted and laughed deliriously.

'Oh, I couldn't imagine having triplets,' Meiling said offhandedly. 'What a nightmare.' She looked shocked at her own comment, gave an apologetic look towards Ron and Hermione and blushed.

'Well, you know those Weasley genes,' Ron offered congenially. 'Fred and Angelina had twins themselves. Weasleys never do anything by halves.'

Meiling nodded slowly and blushed even brighter as she asked, 'May I hold one?' Hermione smiled and passed Rose to Meiling. Meiling propped the little girl in her lap, and Rose stared up at her with big brown eyes. 'She's so cute,' Meiling murmured.

'Oh, watch out, Malfoy. I think someone's clucky!' Syaoran teased. 'Maybe you can name your kid after me. "Lang".'

Draco made a hacking cough sound, his cheeks tinged pink. The others laughed.

'How old are Rose, Hugo and Brian now?' Syaoran asked.

'Coming on nine months,' Ron replied.

'Brardy 'el,' Hugo babbled.

'Did he just speak?' Tomoyo gasped.

'Oh my, I believe he did — Ron, Hugo said his first word!' She leaned over Ron's lap to smile at Hugo, speaking in a sickly sweet voice. 'What did you say, love? Say it again!'

Hugo looked around at them all, smiled and said, 'Bloody hell!'

'Adorable!' Meiling gushed, and then frowned. 'Wait, what did he say?'

Hermione groaned angrily, throwing her arms into the air. 'Oh, Ron. Now look what you've done!'

'Hey, it's not my fault!' said Ron defensively.

'You're always cussing around the children.'

'Well, I can't help it! We have three of 'em!'

'I dare you to change their nappies, just once in silence. Just once!'

'But it's bloody disgusting!'

'See! There you go again!'

Ron and Hermione continued to row. Hugo and Brian responded by crying simultaneously. Tomoyo took a burbling Rose off a frazzled Meiling.

The others sighed dejectedly.

'Well, I guess they never changed,' Syaoran shrugged.

Sakura looked alarmingly down at Nadeshiko, who had been notably peaceful. 'Wonder if she'll keep this up.'

'Why don't we watch old videos?' Tomoyo interrupted the row with the brightest smile humanly possible. 'We can order takeout?'

'Ooh, there's a new Italian place down the street,' Sakura said. 'We've been meaning to check it out.'

'Sounds good. I'll call,' Syaoran muttered distractedly and moved to the phone.

While Syaoran called for takeout, Ron and Hermione went to place the children down to sleep. Nadeshiko continued to sleep peacefully in Sakura's arms. They broke out a bottle of wine and flicked through Tomoyo's old footage to reminisce and reflect.

* * *

'Bloody hell! Look at me. I had so much hair back then,' joked Ron as he raked at the gradually thinning patch at the top of his head.

'Oh, stop. You're fine,' Meiling admonished. 'But look at me! How did I think long ponytails were at all practical for battle? I look like a Magical Girl reject.'

The others chuckled over their Italian, served in a mismatched assortment of bowls and cutlery, whatever they could scrape together from the kitchen. Kero had joined them and slurped happily at his spaghetti.

Sakura was ecstatic, surrounded by her dearest friends as her new child slept peacefully in a bouncer to the corner of the room. They watched home movies of themselves as teenagers, as Phoenix Fighters. Even Draco had returned. But as the scene switched to a battle scene of Trunks and Chibiusa, she felt a pang of sadness. It was not the same.

There a subtle buzzing sound. Harry jumped and took out an electronic object from behind his bottom. It was Trunks' communicator!

'Quick, answer it!' Sakura gasped. 'Turn off the television!'

Kero stepped onto the remote and switched the television off. Harry frantically pressed a few buttons and Trunks' face appeared on the communicator screen.

'Trunks?' Draco yelled, looking unusually emotive as he sprang up to kneel beside Harry.

'Hey guys!' Trunks said, looking around in awe at all the familiar faces. His hair was long and tied back in a ponytail, but his face was as youthful as ever. 'I meant to call earlier, but I got caught up.'

The others moved to crouch around the small screen, pressing in like a bouquet of faces.

'It's no problem,' Syaoran replied, grinning broadly. 'You're just in time.'

Sakura brought Nadeshiko into view of the communicator camera. 'Her name is Nadeshiko.'

Trunks' eyes widened as he watched the sleeping baby. He whistled softly. 'That is just amazing. What a great kid. Congratulations to you both.'

'Congrats, Sakura and Syaoran!' they heard a familiar voice croon in the background.

Ron gasped, 'No! Is that—?'

'Hey guys!' Goten called and appeared beside Trunks, beaming. He had cut his hair short, spiked in a similar style to his brother, Gohan. 'Oh, isn't she sweet!'

Trunks looked around at them more closely. 'No way. Draco? Oh wow, I thought you'd disappeared! Look at you!'

'Hey,' Draco replied shyly. 'You mean, look at you.'

'Well, I have been working out,' Trunks responded in amusement. 'Thank you for noticing.'

'Pleasure,' Draco said.

'What have you both been up to?' Harry asked.

Trunks rubbed the back of his head and smirked. 'Well, we're actually on a double-date with Goten and his girlfriend at the moment.'

'Ooh, double-date? "We"? Who's the lucky lady?' Meiling teased.

Goten chuckled and shoved Trunks roughly. 'Come on, Trunks! Tell them!'

'What?' Syaoran asked, his smile broadening.

'I think you'll be surprised,' Trunks said and turned the communicator away from his face.

'Hi,' she said, her ruby eyes twinkling beneath flowing pink ponytails.

 _'Chibiusa?!'_ they exclaimed.

* * *

Trunks swirled his scotch, making the ice cubes clink against the artfully fractal glass. Occasionally he looked up and nodded to demonstrate his excellent listening skills. His dark grey suit, picked out by his mother, was uncomfortable and strained against his shoulders. He glanced at his watch, but it was caught under the shirt sleeve. What time was it?

He sat in a cocktail bar across from a girl. He watched the neon lights of the bar sign blink in her eyes. She smiled expectantly. What was her name again? Coco? Carol? Something with a "C". It didn't really matter, did it? She was another date his mother had arranged over the past year and a half. The longest he had dated a girl was three weeks, and that hadn't ended well.

It wasn't enough that he assumed the role of President at Capsule Corp, which he hated with the heat of a thousand suns, but he begrudgingly undertook. He was second in command to none other than his mother, Bulma, the CEO. Yet this responsibility wasn't the worst of it. Bulma also had painfully pressed upon him the importance of giving her grandchildren. His father stayed out of it, as did his sister. He was called to carry on the Briefs line into the future. Even his best friend, Goten, gave him hell for not having a girlfriend.

The woman that he was having a drink with was pretty. She wore a tight dress and had a tan that was encroaching on orange territory. But he was bored. Once they got past the initial pleasantries of age, occupation and social status, what else was there to discuss? It was the same bland conversation.

'I had to get my hair recoloured three times. So, I will never go back to that salon again,' she stated in a syrupy voice. Why did girls put on a sweet voice in front of him?

She took a small sip of her fruity cocktail and stirred the straw. She leaned forward to emphasise her assets and batted her thick eyelashes like morse code. She sent him a coy, _propositioning_ smile. He felt her hand stroke his thigh. 'I can tell this isn't your scene. So, here's an idea. How about we get out of here?'

Trunks cleared his throat gruffly, blushing furiously. What could he say? That sounds delightful, but I only go to second base after _never_?

He threw back his head, polished off his drink. The scotch scolded his throat as he pushed away from the table.

'Listen, Candice, it's been really—'

'My name is _Jennifer_!' the woman snapped, looking affronted.

Oh, so it didn't start with "C".

She scoffed as she swung her handbag violently over her shoulder and stood up. 'We've talked for over two hours and you can't even remember my name?'

So he was rude. Trunks felt a bit bad. He stood up and held out his hands placatingly. 'I-I was just kidding. Of course your name is—'

She glared at him. 'Everyone says that you're so handsome and kind and smart. But I can really see that they were wrong. The Briefs fortune is not worth this humiliation.'

'Whoa, what?' Trunks stammered.

Jennifer 'hmphed' and staged a dramatic exit, her skyscraper heels clacking on the marbled floor and out the door.

Trunks ran a hand agitatedly down his face and sighed.

The bartender came over, rubbing a glass with a cloth. 'Another scotch?'

'Please,' Trunks said desperately and retook his seat.

As he waited for his drink his phone went off. He answered to Goten's greasy smirk.

'What?' Trunks deadpanned.

'So, how'd it go?' Goten asked.

'It left a moment ago,' Trunks said through clenched teeth.

'Oh, boy. That's the, what, 20th one?' Goten guffawed and clapped a hand on his cheek. 'Gosh, keep this up and we'll make it a golden anniversary.'

'Oh, shut up,' Trunks groaned. 'Want to come over to mine in about an hour and play some videogames?'

'Nah. I've got plans with Daffodil,' Goten purred. 'Say hi, sunshine.'

Daffodil leaned over Goten and smiled sweetly. 'Hi, Trunks!'

Trunks waved feebly. It wasn't until he had returned from Tomoeda did he realise that Goten had lied about the enormity of the wish to save Crystal Tokyo. Goten had actually been granted two wishes: the first saved Chibiusa's home, the second to be reunited with Daffodil Hana. Thankfully she had taken to their world like a fish to water. She enjoyed the luxuries of advanced technology and unusual beauty treatments.

'Don't stay up too late, Trunks. You'll need your beauty sleep to keep the ladies a'comin',' Goten laughed. 'Say goodnight, buttercup.'

'Good night, Trunks!' Daffodil cooed and the call ended.

Trunks gladly accepted the second scotch and finished it with relish. The warm buzzing feeling it gave him was temporary respite. He decided he would retire early. Thankfully it was the weekend. He paid the tab and flew home. His large, empty and spacious apartment overlooking the bay. Home sweet home.

He showered and slipped into his soft, soft bed. He removed the hairtail that pushed painfully into the back of his head and let his hair fall across the pillow. With a deep sigh he shut his eyes.

He opened his eyes. He was somehow dressed in a loose white shirt and slacks and barefooted, sitting on soft green grass, the fragile blades leaning diagonally against a warm breeze. It looked like the park across the road from his office. He would stare down into it from the seventh story of his office during monotonous teleconferences. He would watch couples and children walk by, play games and throw bread at ducks in the pond.

There was no one else around. He leaned onto his knees and stared out onto the pond reflecting a luridly blue sky, ducks eddying across the water like paper boats. There was a gentle glowy quality to the things around him, as though he gazed through a slightly misted window.

'You have beautiful dreams,' he heard a woman say beside him.

Trunks turned slowly to regard the figure.

She was an angel. The embodiment of the moon clothed in layered pink scalloped skirts. Her pale pink hair was spun into two cone-shaped buns ended with streaming moonlight down her back and dripping with a galaxy of pearls. Atop her forehead gleamed a silver crescent moon, framing a set of intelligent ruby eyes and a red-lipped smile.

'Small Lady,' Trunks uttered and dug his fingers into the earth, his entire form quivering.

It was a dream. Just a dream. He had dreamed about her before. But she seemed older, more mature. More substantial.

She looked thoughtful. 'It's just Lady now.'

Trunks cocked his head. 'I didn't think you could get more beautiful. Boy, was I wrong.' He chuckled and crawled closer to sit beside her. 'I know you're not really here, but thanks for showing up. I've really had a shocker of a year.'

Chibiusa — Lady — smiled in amusement. 'You grew your hair out,' she said. Her own hair swung with her inclined head, pooling to one side.

'I can see we both did,' he joked and felt his mouth drop open in awe. Gosh, her neck was so lovely and long. He reached out a hand and hesitated. What if she disappeared? He felt a lump form in his throat.

'What's wrong?' She leaned forward.

She was so detailed. He could make out each dark eyelash. He could even see himself reflected in her eyes. 'I'm worried that if I touch you, you won't be real.'

Lady giggled softly and reached out to touch his face. She ran a line with her finger across his dimple. 'Well, Mister Briefs, I believe myself to be very, very real.'

Could it truly...?

Trunks desperately clutched at her wrists and stared straight into her face. He didn't have to search long to find the same girl he'd fallen for in Tomoeda eight years ago.

'It's really you,' he choked.

She nodded, her lips trembling. 'Yes. And it's really you.'

The yearning of eight years compounded into a single kiss, deep and desperate as he leaned into her, pressing her into the soft grass. She kissed him back ardently, her fingers curling through his hair, the tang of tears upon their tongues. For a long while he was lost in her softness and warmth.

How was this possible? he thought dizzily.

She pulled away and uttered breathlessly, as though reading his thoughts. 'Elios.'

'Hmm?' Trunks said muzzily.

'After researching for many years, he finally connected our dreams. It was my coronation gift,' she finished and leaned her forehead against his. He felt a slight warmth emanating from her crescent moon.

Trunks didn't quite register the fact. 'You are now Queen? _Queen!_ ' He blinked when she nodded slowly. 'So...So you didn't marry Elios?'

She pulled a face, much like her teenage self. 'No. Elios and Hotaru wed.'

He summoned memories from eight years in the past. The girl with short black hair, Lady Serenity's friend. Hotaru and Elios. 'Oh. _Oh!'_ he said stupidly.

She nodded. 'They are very happy. And now, _I_ am immeasurably happy.'

He hugged her tightly. Everything was perfect.

Except, he wondered ruefully, how he would explain to his mother that he couldn't go on any more dates. Because he was committed to a pink-haired alien moon queen in another dimension? While his own father had been an alien war prince...Gosh, it was worse than online dating. It would make Bulma Briefs catatonic, or send her into an early grave. Not to mention what his father would think.

'So, say we date. How do we work out the logistics of _this?_ How do we meet in real life, I mean, if that's even possible?'

Lady Serenity shrugged. 'Elios said that he's working on it. And Setsuna.'

Trunks stared. 'Can I trust that guy?'

She nodded and laughed. _'Yes_ , Trunks!'

He watched the way the light of the dream sun played in her eyes, highlighting flecks of gold. The slight swell of her cheek when she smiled. His heart raced.

'Do you love me still?' she said gently.

He kissed her forehead, and then her nose and then her lips. 'I do. Do you love me?'

She laughed again. ' _Yes,_ I love you.'

'Finally, you said it,' he said triumphantly and smirked. 'Been waiting almost a decade to hear it.'

'You're the one who left without waking me,' she said with raised eyebrows.

He nodded. Yes, he had been an idiot. But it was all behind them now.

Lady Serenity gasped softly as Trunks wrapped his arms around her waist and pressed his face to her stomach. The pleats of her skirts tickled his cheek and he could hear the subtle beat of her heart. After a pause, she encircled her arms around his head. Her hair fell around them in a pink shroud. He was crying now. He'd been holding back.

In the soft green grass beside the sky-mirroring pond, Trunks committed his heart and soul to the Queen of Crystal Tokyo.

'For now,' he whispered against her stomach, his eyes dazzled by a mixture of the dream sun and tears, 'this is more than enough for me.'

* * *

'So, we dated in our dreams for about a year, and then Elios found a way to open a portal between our worlds. We're going to spend a bit of time here, smooth over the whole Capsule Corp thing, then head over to Crystal Tokyo,' Chibiusa finished for Trunks.

'Yup,' Trunks sighed dreamily. 'The in-laws are holding down the fort at the Kingdom, meanwhile _we_ wait for my sister to be old enough to take the reins from me at the company.'

Chibiusa giggled. 'Not in-laws yet, silly.'

The group gawped. After a stretched silence, Kero exclaimed, 'What a story!'

Chibiusa laughed nervously. 'It's not _that_ hard to believe. I mean, you and I, we all fought interdimensional beings for nearly a year,' she said dismissively.

'Yeah, and Goten magicked Daffodil into his world. Which raises a whole range of ethical questions,' Hermione stated slowly.

'What? I'm actually pretty happy here!' Daffodil protested offscreen, followed by Goten's embarrassed guffaws.

'I'm really glad it worked out,' Sakura said.

'But the real question is, when you're coming to visit,' Syaoran added.

'Need help with the babysitting?' Trunks queried with a half-smile.

'You know it! We've got four Phoenix Fighter babies, another on the way,' Meiling explained. 'Possibly more…' She eyed Draco expectantly, who blushed darkly.

Trunks somehow knew each offender, eyeing Hermione and Ron, then Harry and Tomoyo, and then Draco. 'Aww, you guys. That's just adorable.'

'Thanks,' they responded in unison.

'Well, we just called to say congratulations and it's great to see everyone is well. Don't worry. Mother worked with Elios and Sailor Pluto to establish an interdimensional connection.  
The technology is becoming more refined. We will meet again.'

'Hey! Speaking of babies, I want to see them, too!' exclaimed an eager Chibiusa, who playfully wrestled the communicator away from Trunks.

'Oh you've just got to see Hugo — he looks just like me but with Hermione's hair,' Ron chimed.

'He cusses like Ron, too,' Draco added with a snort.

'No, Ron! We've finally put them to sleep!' Hermione protested, a rattled look on her face.

But it was too late. The room was alive again with the cries of babies, as well as laughter and gushing; feelings of amusement were mirrored a dimension away, on the small digital device.

As Sakura glanced around the group, the warmth of her child against her breast, she smiled happily. She glimpsed a proud Syaoran, and then a beaming Harry behind watery eyes. He, removed his glasses to clean them and then caught her eye. He smiled back with green eyes so like her own. Everything worked out after all.

And all was well.


End file.
